High school is the ultimate preparation for college.  As you continue through high school you will be pulled in many different ways and told numerous things that you need to do in order to succeed and attend college.  

The SATs are supposedly a huge factor in this college process.  Adults will tell you to sign up for all of these study courses or extra help in preparation to do well on the SATs.  However, they might not be as important in today’s college process as they used to be.

For some context, the SAT is a standardized test that is used to help evaluate high school students’ readiness for college as an entrance exam to determine whether or not they would be a good candidate for their college.  It is a common data point that colleges can use to compare all applicants the same.  They are scored out of 1600 and the higher you score on it, supposedly means the better chance you have in getting into a college.

After COVID-19 struck in 2020, many colleges turned the SATs into test optional on their applications.  Today there are still over 2,000 colleges that don’t require your SAT scores on your application.  Therefore, the SATs are seen more as a low risk for not taking them, but a high reward for taking them and doing well.  

There are three different ways that colleges will go about the submission of SATs.  

The first one is test-optional which is the most common.  This means that colleges don’t require their applicants to submit their SAT scores; however, they allow them to do so if the candidate believes that it will boost their chances of getting into the college.  This way basically means that it is up to each student, but if you did take the SATs, and scored relatively well then you should probably add them to your application.

Another way is test flexibility.  This requires candidates to submit relevant exam scores: however, these can be from other tests like the Advanced Placement test instead of the SAT.  Therefore, students have the freedom to pick the test scores that they feel are best for them and will elevate their chances of getting accepted into college the most.

The last one is test-blind schools.  This means that colleges specify that students should not submit their testing scores as they won’t even evaluate them as a part of the admissions process.  Even though this is less common, some colleges have adopted this method as a way to evaluate students aside from their testing scores.

While not submitting your SATs won’t diminish your chances of getting into a test-optional school, admissions will then take into account other factors such as your GPA, letters of recommendation, and essays.  Therefore, make sure that your entire application is strong, especially if you don’t plan on submitting standardized tests such as the SAT.

Colleges have also evolved new ways for students to get accepted into them.  

One of these ways is direct admissions.  This allows for candidates to just simply submit their transcripts with their grades throughout high school and their GPA.  Malina Dinis, who is the class of 2024 president here at Ludlow High School, stated “I got into Western New England University through direct admission by submitting my name, GPA, and transcript.”  After submitting this information she said that she was then accepted 1-2 weeks later.

This allows the college admission process to be so much simpler and easier for students.  It also makes it less stressful as they don’t need to take the SATs, write any essays, or get a bunch of letters of recommendation.

When asked about her thoughts on the SATs, Malina explained “I don’t believe the SAT is important these days simply because of people who just are not good test takers and that they don’t reflect how well a student does in school.”  

Many students can excel in school by getting straight A’s and taking challenging courses such as AP classes yet, their standardized testing scores don’t display it.  That should not punish them from getting into college which is why direct admissions is evolving to allow college admissions to see students for who they really are and not just solely based on a singular standardized test.

While the significance of SATs is decreasing, they could still be vitally important for certain aspects of the college process.

If someone is planning on applying to an Ivy League school such as Harvard or Yale, taking the SAT would be much more beneficial or even mandatory.  Many highly competitive schools still mandate the SAT’s on each candidates college application, and just simply having a good score can help boost your chances of getting into a competitive school even more.

However, senior Hannah Goncalves, who will be attending Boston College next year, stated “Boston College was a test score optional when I applied and I chose not to submit my SAT scores.”  She felt as though they “would not have helped me and possibly hurt my chances of getting in.”  Even at highly competitive schools such as Boston College, you don’t need to take the SATs in order to get into the school, but Hannah does recommend that you take the SATs at least once as “it could help you get into a school.”

They also help with merit money and other scholarships that you can apply to for colleges.  SAT scores can even be mandatory for these scholarships, or to get into certain majors or programs like honors colleges.  Even if you don’t need your SAT score to apply to a college, if your major is highly competitive they might require an SAT just for that certain concentration.

Even if your college doesn’t require an SAT score at all, it might be beneficial to add yours if it is good to boost your chances of getting into college. Especially if you don’t have a very high GPA or as many extracurricular activities.  It almost evens out other parts of your application that may not be as strong, which will ultimately boost your chances of getting into the colleges you apply to.

While the SATs might still be worthwhile since it doesn’t hurt to at least try, they are not necessary to apply or be accepted into many colleges across the country.

They might be worth it if you are a good test taker and do well on the SATs as it can boost your chances of getting into a good college.  They can also help you earn more merit money or get into different things such as honors colleges or competitive majors.

However, you don’t need an SAT score as many colleges don’t require your testing scores anymore.  Junior Delores Calvao feels that the SATs “are not very useful as they don’t accurately reflect students ability to succeed throughout college.”  Colleges also have new ways such as direct admissions as an easier and less stressful way to get accepted.

Overall, it is probably in your best interest to attempt to take the SAT at least once as it doesn’t have any risk to it, and high reward if you do well.  Yet it is not a necessity, or something high school students should excessively stress over. It is just one part of your application that many colleges don’t even really refer to as significantly as they have in the past.