The SAT is a standardized test we've all heard of and many of us have are familiar with. SAT, standing for “Scholastic Aptitude Test” dates back to 1926 and evolved from an Army IQ test. This college admissions exam originally claimed to test innate intelligence and promote meritocracy. The overall basis of standardized testing is to be a legitimate, unbiased, and equitable method of assessing students strictly because the results that come from the test are meant to yield valid results. However, they have shown that these tests appear to be detrimental to students' mental health, and home life, and, above all, racially divide students in their academic careers.
Standardized tests are a set of randomized questions that may have never been covered or taught in a classroom. The preparation for these tests causes headaches, sleepless nights, anxiety and stress-related disorders, academic discouragement, knock on confidence, and in some cases, even depression. According to the Early Psychological Impact, ““high-stakes testing causes damage to children's self-esteem, overall morale, and love of learning.”” Children stop learning about what interests them, what entertains them, and what they enjoy doing, instead, they practice the same basic problems catered towards a test that was never designed for children to take.
Parents can also have unrealistic expectations of scores for their children. Poor test scores don’t just affect a child’s self-esteem but lower the viewpoint of a parent, peer, or teacher on the individual taking the test. Many parents who can afford to put their children in tutoring do so, expecting a drastic change in results. When this expectation isn’t met, a child may feel guilty for not being good enough, and a parent is left disappointed in their child. Additionally, not all parents can afford to put their children into tutoring.
The SAT is also known to be an extremely racially segregated test. Those who live in public assisted housing, or are on a lower income, cannot afford to put their children through expensive SAT study courses and curriculums. African American students, on average, score 168 points less than Caucasian students. However, Asian students received an average of 219 points higher than students of any other race. Thus proving priorities, and studying is not the only factor to successfully achieve a high score on the SAT. Many people do not have the ability to give their children the expensive opportunities that others have to get ahead.
The SAT is harmful in more ways than one. It is stressful for students which causes anxiety and depression. It can harm a child's self-esteem, leading them to lose courage in their abilities and decrease grades in classes inside of school. And the SAT comes with unbearable standards that many often struggle to break and end up breaking themselves first. Some people choose to partake in standardized testing, while others do not. Both options are now fully okay because colleges are turning towards a more test optional approach. If a student chooses not to take the standardized test, their extracurriculars could easily make up for that. The test is now being used to aid applicants in putting their best foot forward and boosting their applications instead of hurting them if their scores are not up to par.
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