FREE SAT controversy Essay (original) (raw)

Every year, thousands of high school students take part in a harrowing, yet requisite process. Obligated to wake up early on what would typically be a relaxing Saturday morning, students are afforded the pleasure of spending three hours in a quiet room with nothing but a pencil and, occasionally, a calculator to keep them company. Each one of these students is about to part take in a test that will supposedly categorically predict their future success; this is the Scholastic Aptitude Test, perhaps better known by its acronym: SAT. Although this test has been around in some form or another for almost a century, a lot of controversy has risen over the past decade as to whether or not this test has any true validity. Is sitting at desk for three hours, answering multiple-choice questions, and having only a fifteen-minute interval going to truly evaluate college success? Likely not. The idea that a multiple-choice test can, or will, actually ascertain an individual's success in college is backed, at best, by only a modicum of evidence. Simply put: SAT's do not provide an accurate or reliable indication of an individual's future college success.
This Scholastic Aptitude Test originated from the Alpha Army and was designed to determine the IQ of new recruits. Carl Brigham, a professor at Princeton University, saw the potential benefits of such a test and began adapting it for use in college admissions. A few years later, Brigham's early version of the SAT was presented to the president of Harvard to be used to evaluate scholarship candidates. In 1938 the idea of using the SAT as a uniform exam was brought to the attention of the College Board. However, it was only until after World War II that the SAT became a test for all college applicants. Over the years the SAT has changed significantly from its humble beginning "new sections were added and dropped, and vigorous attempts were made to address its shortcomings.

1. The SAT Controversy

The SAT Controversy 1) According to the video and the article, who and how was the SAT developed and for what purpose? ... Controversy abounds around admissions testing. Countless articles argue for keeping the SAT and just as many seem to argue for abolishing it. ... The SAT test was specifically designed with that in mind. ... Finally, the argument exists that since minorities tend to score lower on the SAT than whites, that alone is a very good reason to eliminate using the SAT. ...

2. SAT'S

The College Board (the organization that sponsors the SATs) got rid of the acronym but kept the letters, allowing them to stand on their own, free of the controversy surrounding the meaning of the word aptitude. ... A major player in the SATs is the test prep business. This business began even before the birth of the SATs themselves. ... These SAT prep courses can be quite a burden on a family's bank account. ... In light of the previously mentioned problems that have risen because of the SATs, some college administrators have considered eliminating the SATs. ...

3. SAT Bias

Over the past few years there has been a growing controversy about the SAT I exam in America. ... This past year the SAT I exam was revamped. ... Could the answer be abolishing the SAT I totally and possibly looking more at the SAT II subject test? ... This past year the SAT I exam has been revamped. ... Unlike the SAT I exam, the SAT II exam looks specifically at the subjects a student has learned throughout high school. ...

4. Standardized Testing and its Social Faults

However, the majority of those students do not realize that the setup and outcome of every standardized test is a large topic of controversy in today's society. ... It is often stated that statistically females score lower on standardized tests such as the SATs and ACTs. ... On the 1998 SAT boys were 35 points ahead of girls in math and 7 points ahead in English (Sommers 32). However, the controversy concerning achievement levels on standardized tests soars far beyond gender. ... This is the central cause for argument and controversy. ...

5. Robert Bellarmine

In 1576 Robert was recalled to Italy and entrusted with the Chair of Controversies recently founded at the Roman College. This task was the earliest attempt to systemize the various controversies of the time. ... Robert sat on the final commission for the revision of the Vulgate text. ...

6. Madonna Like a Prayer Video Analysis

She moved very quickly in the ensuing years to make several records (many of which have gone multi-platinum) and to take several world tours with sold-out concerts, and has caused quite a bit of controversy in what she has done in the public eye. ... It seems that Madonna seems to enjoy attention, good or bad, and it seems like she feeds on her own controversy. ... This essay shall focus on the video which accompanies the title track from her 1989 album, "Like A Prayer," which certainly had its share of controversy. ... I sat up and took notice, and I'm not even Christian -- I am Jewish...

7. The 45th Annual Grammy's

The 45th Annual Grammy Awards On Sunday February 27, over 55 million viewers sat in front of their television to witness the largest night in music. ... The stars walked the red carpet and reviewed each other's wardrobe, sat in their padded theater chairs and readied for a night of enjoyment, suspense, and defeat. ... This year there wasn't much controversy in the paired up groups. ...

8. Drugs History And Definition

It has been a source of great controversy Another popular drug widely used in the United States is cocaine.ever since. ... Its developers hoped it would prove safe and effective, but early researchers decided it is not much of neither and it sat on a shelf until 1957. ...

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