If a survey was taken in all schools across the state asking: “What was the most stressful thing you had to face in high school, leading into college?” 90% of the students would agree it was the SATs.

While the other 10% of students would confidently debate that it was the struggle to get up early and actually go to class. But why is this simple word so feared amongst students throughout the nation? Maybe it’s because it’s the most important test a student will take in order to get into the college of their choice. Though, is that really a fair way to depict where a person can or cannot go to college?

A ten section-test ranging from 25-minute sections all the way down to 10-minute sections including not only reading and math but also writing – which, in fact, most colleges don’t even consider.

Why does this single, standard exam foreshadow where a student attends college for the “greatest four years of their lives”? It’s due to the government believing it’s the only fair way to truly test ones level of intelligence.

There are many reasons why the SATs should not portray the level of intelligence of a student. First off, some students prove not to be good test takers, but excel in understanding the knowledge being taught. It’s not that they aren’t smart enough to comprehend the material being learned in classrooms, but the pressures of answering mind-boggling questions in a minuet amount of time.

Another reason why the SATs are not an appropriate way of figuring out a student’s level of intelligence is that depending on the family income of a student, mainly determines how much help they get in preparing. Families with a wealthier background have more opportunities to get their child tutors and test taking tips to well prepare them for the SATs. In some areas kids aren’t even privileged enough to get a proper education, let alone extra help, but still have to take the same exam in order to get into their dream college. This gives kids with a wealthy background not only better learning opportunities, but also an unfair advantage when taking the SATs.

So, ask yourself this: Are the SATs really fair? Is it really accurately portraying a student’s level of intelligence? I believe it only causes more stress for kids knowing that they have to do perfect on this one test in order to go to a college they like and are comfortable in. Why should the future of our generation be decided by a 3 hour standardized test?