Since its first administration to high school students for scholarships at Harvard University, the SAT has always been a prominent part of the college admissions process. The results are used as a standardized method of comparing students, displaying their supposed ability to succeed in a college setting. Many colleges view SAT scores differently and while it doesn’t determine who you are, it can be very hard for some to remember this knowing the advantages of receiving a high score. Certain SAT scores can yield a scholarship offered at acceptance or even an acceptance at a university depending on the rest of the application. However, the worth of the SAT, along with college admissions in general, has been upended due to the coronavirus pandemic, where many universities decided to go “test-optional” to give a fair chance to students who were unable to take the test because of cancellations. As of 2021, more than 700 colleges and universities, including Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell have stated that students should “not face penalties if they were unable to submit SAT subject test results”. Recently, Princeton’s Dean of Admission, Karen Richardson said “While our policy has long been that SAT subject tests are recommended but not required, now seems the appropriate time to reiterate that applicants who do not submit subject tests will not be disadvantaged in our process.” 

Seniors all over the country are complexed over this new rule, and many are puzzled as to whether they should or shouldn’t send in their SAT. Here are Alexa Pumarejo’s thoughts on this:

Did you submit your SAT score? Why or why not?

I did not submit my SAT score. I chose not to submit the score because not only was it not required, but I did not want my SAT score to reflect me.

Do you believe that submitting helps your application? What about not submitting?

I do believe that submitting your SAT score helps your application, but only when you have the desired score that your college is looking for. Not submitting worries many students, they feel that the college may judge them but not submitting their scores. What I mean by that is, students feel like they are obligated to submit their scores because if they don’t then their college of their choice might assume that their SAT scores were low.

What is your opinion on the SAT? Do you think it should be important? Why or why not?

In order to have an opinion on the SAT, you have to know what it is. I know that the SAT is a standardized test that measures a highschool student’s readiness for college. In my opinion, the SAT is useless and should not be important. I remember stressing about the SAT, I stayed up nights for a test that told me I was ready for college. I didn’t need that test to tell me that. What about the kids that are ready for college, but the SAT tells them otherwise and could prevent a kid from getting into a dream school. The SAT is just another way to rank kids, and make high school teenagers not feel good enough.

Do you think the college application process will change for the better?

I do hope that down the line the college application will change for the better. But, I can only hope. Do I actually think it will change? No, not at all.

If you had the power to create your own college application process, what would you require of students?

Good question, if I had the power to create my own college application, the only thing I would require is contact information and grades. Would I prevent you from attending a college because of your grades? No. I would only want the grades to see where you are, and how I can help you move forward in college. I would love to make college affordable and/or free. People do not seem to realize that we are robbing children of an education just because they cannot afford to pay tuition, let alone the price of ONE college textbook.  By making college free we could have a widened workforce, improved society, increased equality, boosted economy, and so much more!

With the college admission process continuing to evolve as years go by, requirements will be added and removed. Likewise, students could still agree and disagree with future policies. Yet when the time comes, students and admissions officers will be the ones to decide what really makes a student stand out in a pool of applications, and what never mattered to begin with.