If you thought the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was as bad as it was going to get, you may have thought too soon.
Starting March 2005, the SAT will be revising their test. The new test will add college preparatory math, more critical thinking and a new writing section. The writing portion will include 35 minutes for multiple choice questions and 25 minutes to respond to an open-ended essay question. The ACT is also offering an optional writing section starting in February.
Because of these changes, the SAT will now be 45 minutes longer and cost over 10 dollars more.
Andrew Cochran, a sophomore at Hillsdale College, does not see how an essay can be used in a standardized test at all.
"[An essay] is subjective by nature," he said.
Other students do not like the essay idea because of their different writing styles.
"I can write well, but I cannot write well on the spot," freshman Javonne Padgett said. "I suggest they send out the essay questions so we can prepare and at least organize our thoughts."
According to the board that created the SAT, at their web page, www.collegeboard.com, "including a third measure of skills -writing, the new SAT will help colleges make better admissions and placement decisions."
"[A standardized test] is a good ingredient to the evaluation but not a good indication by itself," Jeff Lantis, director of admissions, said.
The college takes into account about nine components in the admission process.
The top four measures used in the evaluation are: a student's grade point average in college preparatory classes, their overall GPA, the English and Reading sections of standardized tests, and the composite score.
Hillsdale currently accepts scores from either the SAT or the ACT indifferently, but with the changes being made to the tests, the college is not sure what their course of action will be.
"We're waiting to see how the issue settles out," Assistant Provost David Whalen said. "A lot will depend on the kinds of questions that will be asked and whether we will be given access to the essays."
However, he said he likes the principle of the essay portion.
"A college needs to get a picture of the students learning abilities, and the best snapshot of a mind is had in watching it work discursively," he said.
So how does a student prepare for the new SAT? The SAT board maintains that "the best way to prepare for the SAT is to take challenging, academic courses and work hard in school."