Most Juniors and Seniors dread the moments they take the SAT and ACT. Getting up early with their Ticonderoga pencils and calculators is nothing but stressful. The college process alone is difficult and stressful, and the SAT and ACT only makes it worse. A majority of colleges and universities in the U.S require students to take the ACT or SAT for college admission purposes. According to the New York Times, “1,666,017 students took the ACT last year; 1,664,479 took the SAT”. College admissions are getting more competitive as years go on and SAT and ACT scores have a large impact on whether or not a student is admitted to a certain college. According to Fairtest.org, “these tests are created for a wealthy, Caucasian, male to succeed.” Sitting
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The pressure for students to perform well on these tests is immense. Some families spend thousands of dollars on ACT and SAT preparation courses and materials. This only puts the less wealthy students at a disadvantage for everyone can afford expensive books and tutors. “Students do better when they are familiar with the test format and lower income students do not have access to these expensive practice books” (Rizzo 9). According to the Huffington Post, “students from affluent areas spend $15,000 and up on SAT prep and top SAT tutors in New York command $500-$1000 an hour.” Those in the upper class clearly has an unfair advantage in this circumstance over those of the lower classes.
According to the National Center For Fair and Open Testing, “ACT scores are directly related to family income: the richer the parents are, the higher are average scores.” Students from lower income families may not have college counselors at their schools or may not be able to pay for test preparation. Students who do not perform well on these exams may be denied scholarships and admission. Some students who are accepted to a university but do not have the SAT or ACT that the college would like may get less scholarship money resulting in those students not being able to afford the
The pressure for students to perform well on these tests is immense. Some families spend thousands of dollars on ACT and SAT preparation courses and materials. This only puts the less wealthy students at a disadvantage for everyone can afford expensive books and tutors. “Students do better when they are familiar with the test format and lower income students do not have access to these expensive practice books” (Rizzo 9). According to the Huffington Post, “students from affluent areas spend $15,000 and up on SAT prep and top SAT tutors in New York command $500-$1000 an hour.” Those in the upper class clearly has an unfair advantage in this circumstance over those of the lower classes.
According to the National Center For Fair and Open Testing, “ACT scores are directly related to family income: the richer the parents are, the higher are average scores.” Students from lower income families may not have college counselors at their schools or may not be able to pay for test preparation. Students who do not perform well on these exams may be denied scholarships and admission. Some students who are accepted to a university but do not have the SAT or ACT that the college would like may get less scholarship money resulting in those students not being able to afford the