Okay, so with all of this talk about the New SAT, a question that isn't very often asked is this: why is there a new SAT?
The answer is simple: money. SAT was recently overtaken by the ACT, which secured many statewide contracts to be THE TEST administered in high schools, whether students were planning to go to college or not. This monopoly made the SAT increasingly marginalized -- and less profitable. So these radical changes aren't about better predicting how students will do in college. They are about convincing lawmakers that the SAT is still relevant so that they can get those sweet, sweet state contracts.
The resulting test is a sort of muddle between being an ACT clone and a someone's weirdo version of what you need to do in college.
There's a math section where you can't use a calculator. You know, because the use of electronics is becoming LESS prevalent in college, right? There's a grammar section in which one has to correct underlined portions of whole passages. I like this section. I liked it even more the first time I saw it...in the ACT.
There is an essay where one has to evaluate the way a DIFFERENT essay was structured. I guess that's kind of cool. Did I ever do that in college? No. But don't worry, the SAT isn't convinced it's valuable either -- they made it optional. Where did they get the idea of an optional essay? Oh right, the ACT.
My point is this: The New SAT wasn't made to make any more sense than the previous SAT. It was made to make money. Don't feel bad it if you struggle with this test or even the ACT. They are not a reflection of your intelligence or self-worth. I'll help you beat these tests the best that I can because I really, truly think they are unfair.
The answer is simple: money. SAT was recently overtaken by the ACT, which secured many statewide contracts to be THE TEST administered in high schools, whether students were planning to go to college or not. This monopoly made the SAT increasingly marginalized -- and less profitable. So these radical changes aren't about better predicting how students will do in college. They are about convincing lawmakers that the SAT is still relevant so that they can get those sweet, sweet state contracts.
The resulting test is a sort of muddle between being an ACT clone and a someone's weirdo version of what you need to do in college.
There's a math section where you can't use a calculator. You know, because the use of electronics is becoming LESS prevalent in college, right? There's a grammar section in which one has to correct underlined portions of whole passages. I like this section. I liked it even more the first time I saw it...in the ACT.
There is an essay where one has to evaluate the way a DIFFERENT essay was structured. I guess that's kind of cool. Did I ever do that in college? No. But don't worry, the SAT isn't convinced it's valuable either -- they made it optional. Where did they get the idea of an optional essay? Oh right, the ACT.
My point is this: The New SAT wasn't made to make any more sense than the previous SAT. It was made to make money. Don't feel bad it if you struggle with this test or even the ACT. They are not a reflection of your intelligence or self-worth. I'll help you beat these tests the best that I can because I really, truly think they are unfair.
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