The SAT Exam is Still Valuable, But Why?

Many high school students take the SAT Exam as one of the required exams to continue their academic careers. Since SAT results are no longer required due to COVID-19, many students are choosing to apply to colleges without taking the SAT or ACT. This prompts the query of whether SAT preparation is still required.

The “test-optional” policy was important when the pandemic first started because students couldn’t take the SAT exam in person. However, as classes resumed in person and standardized exams were made available online, this policy is no longer as necessary. There are still a lot of good reasons for students to choose to take the SAT exam today.

Advantages of SAT preparation and taking the SAT exam

1. Increased Likelihood Of Gaining University Admission

Many students are removing their SAT scores off of their college applications due to the recent “test-optional” option made available by universities all around the country. Prestigious schools thus receive more applications, but the acceptance percentage stays the same.

Universities with the highest application pools in 2021 include Brown University and Harvard University, but their acceptance rates have not yet surpassed 6%. Because the SAT exam was voluntary, candidates may believe that it will be simpler to get accepted to college without SAT results. But this is not the case.

In actuality, the opposite can be accurate. Compared to those who did not submit their SAT scores, students who did so have a 220% higher chance of being accepted into college.

2. Gaining Financial Aid.

Your SAT scores, along with your GPA and EFC (Expected Family Contribution), which is calculated by the FAFSA, still matter when it comes to receiving financial assistance or scholarships from universities.

Henry will serve as an example. With a 3.75 GPA, Henry has been accepted at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. Alabama A&M requires SAT/ACT scores in order to award this scholarship, even if his GPA would make him eligible for a merit scholarship. Henry was not aware of this information prior to applying, and as a result, he is no longer qualified for the university’s merit-based scholarships. He missed out on scholarships that would have paid for his college education because he failed to submit his test results. Henry could have received a number of scholarships and awards if he had merely given Alabama A&M his SAT/ACT scores for consideration.

The merit scholarships that colleges provide students can be severely impacted if your SAT results are excluded because many institutions still view merit as being correlated to SAT/ACT scores. Colleges continue to base scholarship awards on students’ SAT and ACT results; typically, students with excellent SAT/ACT scores earn greater merit grant amounts. Your SAT scores can help you qualify for a number of scholarships and funding opportunities, which will lower part of your college costs.

3. Low-income Students Have An Advantage

The SAT exam is one of the most crucial tools for low-income kids to break down the barriers preventing their academic progress and demonstrate their critical thinking abilities. SAT exam preparation helps increase the number of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who are accepted into top and distinguished universities by giving them the knowledge and abilities to raise both their test scores and overall academic achievement. The SAT is a priceless chance for students from low socioeconomic status (SES) to demonstrate to colleges and institutions that they are college-ready and ready for the demands of academic life.

The SAT’s “test-optional” approach could hurt low-income kids’ chances of getting into prestigious schools. This policy worsens the educational gap for students—current or former—from underserved schools, rather than facilitating admittance.

Students can compare their performance on standardized tests to other students from similar geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. For students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, passing the necessary standardized examinations, enrolling in college, and receiving the best education is the typical path to achieving social mobility and financial independence.

4. SAT Courses Are Considered As Corrective Education

If your SAT scores are not included in your college application, it may have a significant impact on your class placement and the class selection process. Some institutions use their decision on students’ SAT or ACT results when determining whether to enroll them in remedial classes. There are several ways to decide whether remedial classes are required. Colleges can choose the courses you’ll study and your proficiency level based on placement examinations and marks from AP programs. It’s critical to be aware of the potential outcomes if you decide not to submit your SAT results.

Remedial courses take away time from classes that should be focused on your major’s prerequisites. Due to the lack of credit, these courses will be unneeded for graduation requirements and will have a negative impact on your financial aid. Every student who plans to major in a certain field must take prerequisite courses. Attendance in remedial classes prevents students from finishing gateway or introduction courses and delays graduation. Only 23% of two-year college students and 37% of four-year college students complete their gateway courses with remedial courses added on.

If you submit your standardized exam results, you won’t have to take these useless courses that will set back your academic progress. Remedial classes are associated with a decreased likelihood of continuing in college or earning a degree. Remedial courses have a dropout rate of 25% for students attending four-year universities, with 40% of students in two-year colleges never finishing the course.

How many students enrolled in remedial education attend the graduation?

Only 10% of students who take remedial courses at two-year schools graduate in three years, but 35% of remedial course students in four-year non-flagship universities graduate in six years and receive a degree.

There is a percentage of remedial courses that students have attended at universities in various states.

In two-year universities in Maryland, 61% of freshman need remediation. 10% of these 61% graduate in under three years. However, 25% of first-year students entering four-year universities need remediation. Only 49% of them graduate within six years.

In two-year colleges in Massachusetts, 62% of freshman need remediation. 10.3% of these 62% graduate in under three years. While 27% of first-year college students need remediation. Only 51% of them graduate in under 6 years.

5. Putting Student Work Ethics Into Practice

The adage “First impressions linger the longest” is probably something you have heard at least once in your life. Maybe you’re wondering how this saying has anything to do with taking the SAT. Colleges will notice a student with a strong work ethic when they view your submitted SAT scores. Even though including your SAT/ACT scores is optional, doing so will help you stand out to admissions officers and leave a positive impression. Colleges will similarly presume that you performed poorly on the test and are not college-ready if you exclude your test results.

Millions of students have test anxiety, which is a serious issue. To get over this worry, you must practice and use the resources at your disposal to better prepare for the tests you will unavoidably take in the future. Through the development of critical thinking abilities and reduction of test anxiety, test preparation is a tool that can improve test performance. This implies that SAT preparation might affect more than just the test itself; it can also affect your academic performance as a whole.

6. SAT Scores Determine Which Applicants Are Accepted.

There are several aspects of your college application that will help you stand out as a quality candidate. Your GPA, SAT scores, extracurricular activities, and personal statement are all examples of this. Although test scores are not the only factor in college admissions, it is crucial for admissions officers to assess your test-taking skills and readiness for the transition from high school to college.

Since many high schools use different methods to determine grades and GPA, the SAT can give colleges a consistent benchmark against which to compare students. The SAT can therefore reveal information about your academic performance that other tools (such as your GPA, your college essay, etc.) cannot.

Additionally, a minimum score on standardized tests is frequently required for college admissions. For majors in the arts or social sciences, the SAT cutoff is 1000, but for majors in STEM, it is 1100. You should strive for test results that are on par with or better than the average in order to be a competitive applicant for admission. Even if it’s not required, submitting your test results will demonstrate to college admissions committees that you’ve made an effort to succeed in college.

7. High School GPA Improves With SAT Prep

In order to enhance your initial test scores when taking the SAT/ACT, it is important to pay attention to how you study for the test, the skills you have learnt, and how you use these abilities. The outcomes students achieve after taking the test are a clear reflection of the impact of SAT preparation. It is typical for SAT/ACT prep programs to boost test scores by 70 points or more, which highlights the need for SAT prep in more educational institutions.

The increased test scores attributable to SAT preparation can be linked to an increase in high school students’ GPA. This demonstrates how SAT prep indirectly affects young kids and further demonstrates why SAT practice is an essential tool for academic achievement.

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) study examined the effect of SAT preparation on high school GPA. The outcomes of the six investigations were based on information gathered from 65,603 pupils across the United States. Three of the six investigations had a favorable effect, while the other three revealed a “indeterminate effect.”

The study found that the introduction of SAT Prep improved students’ GPA. The study demonstrates that students who took the reading, writing, and mathematics subtests of the SAT exam as well as the verbal component of the SAT exam had higher GPAs than students who did not take part in the program and continued taking their regular classes.

Seek Excellent SAT Tutoring

One of the ways to improve your score in SAT in general, is to seek proffesional assistance from an experienced SAT tutor or from a well-established educational institute. We at Apostrophe Educational Center will help to not only pass the SAT exam, but also to get a high score.

Overview the preparatory course for the SAT exam at APOSTROPHE

A program that covers all the necessary SAT subjects to help you get the highest score in the SAT exam. Through the program, your skills in mathematics and English will be enhanced through using articles, grammar, and vocabulary lessons as well as Mathematical problems. In addition, specific strategies are taught to help you to use your strengths in the test. Students are also trained on how to use their time wisely and increase their practice in order to build confidence before taking the real exam

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SAT EXAM DATES FOR 2022/2023

As an SAT Examinee, you must have knowledge about SAT Exam dates, so you can plan your schedule based on the date you intend to set for the SAT exam. Planning will help in managing time for studying and preparing properly for the SAT Exam. Down below is a link that shows the SAT Exam Dates for the Acadmic year of 2022/2023.