Andrew+Mi's+OpEd+Article

The SAT and ACT (two tests but let’s group them together as one test which for simplicity purpose I will refer to as the SAT) are probably the most important tests of any college-bound high school students life and they seems like a great plan in concept. The SAT is one test that is “equal” for every single kid across the nation and serves as a basis to compare capabilities of perceptive college applicants when the scores are received. What better way could there be to compare a student from Kentucky and a Foothill student on an even level? The SAT is the perfect answer and I believe a nationwide aptitude test is a great thing. In theory every kid takes the same SAT with no previous knowledge of what’s going to be on it, and it serves as a straight comparison… but there is one flaw. One catch. One thing which creates an unbalance in the test. “SAT Prep Classes” “SAT Prep book” “Sat question of the day” Private tutors, group classes, weekend boot camps. The list goes on. Does the SAT really even do its purpose as showing students pure potential on an even level or has it become a test to see who prepared the most? My mom forced/ convinced me to take an 8 hour SAT “boot camp” just this past weekend so that I have a better chance to score well on the SAT. We read 297 pages of tricks, warnings, likely questions and even a “write your essay exactly like this and just fill in these blanks with the prompt and you will score at least an 8*” I know of someone whose parents spent $3,000 (yes, three THOUSAND dollars) for their precious kid to have private tutors for the SAT with the hopes that all the prep will return a great score allowing such kid to pick whatever school they want. The **creators** of the test offer a $32 SAT study guide DVD and a $70 “official SAT online course.” Excuse my language-but what kind of bullshit is this? A test which is supposed to be even for everyone has creators that sell “practice courses” to those that can afford it or want to study for it. If the test was supposed be even. Make it that way. No practice, no warnings, change the style every time and let each year’s scores compare to scores of that year. The SAT is no longer a way to compare students evenly. It has become a market for the rich to have their child get into the college they want by spending thousands to learn the “tricks” of the SAT. I wish it wasn’t this way.