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Planning for college, part five - standardized testing
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As many parents of college-bound high schoolers know, this Saturday is SAT day. Added to the typical concerns is fear of contracting swine flu from fellow test-takers. My son has been practicing for weeks now, with the goal of bringing up his essay and math scores, and it will be a shame if we have to keep him home. Fortunately, so far our county has only a few swine flu cases under investigation, so things should go according to plan.
I remember my own SAT experiences well, perhaps because they were unusual at the time. I was one of only a few sophomores in my school district to take the SAT - I did it for practice, because I would be taking the PSAT abroad during my exchange semester - and I remember worrying about things like broken pencils and math formulas. I survived, though, and went on to take the test again as a "typical" high school junior.
Today, taking the SAT is different. Math formulas are provided. Most calculators are permitted. Students must write an essay on a topic selected by the College Board. Still, as I watch my son practice, the questions and worries have not changed over the last 30 years. As I did, my son asks himself, "Why should one test determine my future?" and, "What happens if I don't do well on this test?"
Taking standardized tests is a life skill, and, although I am not a fan of this type of test, I have subjected my children to standardized testing several times during our seven years of homeschooling. I didn't worry too much about their scores, really; rather, I wanted them to have the experience of sharpening number two pencils, listening to directions and laying their pencils down when time was called. Eventually, we all have to take exams of one kind or another, and we need to know how to cope with the experience.
My son, who is just a few months away from the college application crucible, is very frustrated by the emphasis schools seem to place on standardized test scores. He has worked hard to improve his test-taking speed, but often voices his concern that the SAT and ACT are "life-changing" (his words) events. Although I know that standardized tests don't determine your real future, I know all too well how difficult it is to be a high school junior or senior, facing down a gauntlet of seemingly make-or-break events and decisions. It's a difficult time in the life of any student.
What I say to my son, I would say to anyone. Yes, standardized test scores are important, and they do count for something. So do semester grades and extra-curricular activities and applicaton essays, if it comes down to that. What most teens don't realize is that there is more than one pathway they can take to achieve a particular goal. (Or, to quote the Reverend Mother in my all-time favorite film, The Sound of Music, where God closes a door, He always opens a window.)
If there's anything I have learned about standardized testing in the last 32 years (beginning with my first "practice" SAT), it's that there is always some way to achieve your educational objectives, in spite of or because of your test scores. If your grades and test scores aren't high enough to get you into a state school or private college, spend a year or two at your local community college. Get those general education requirements out of the way. Join some clubs. Find a part-time job or volunteer your time to help a worthy cause. Even if you transfer to your school of choice as a junior, you'll still have a degree from that school...and, trust me, employers care more that you earned the degree from a known school than they worry about where you took freshman comp.
Alternatively, if your test scores bring you opportunities you had not previously considered, you owe it to yourself to think about your options and make a balanced decision. Is it better to go to a second-choice school and graduate debt free, thanks to a scholarship based on your test scores, or to attend your top-choice school and pay for some of the experience yourself? Only you and your family can decide.on your best pathway, but you should definitely consider every single option.
In one of my all-time favorite books for young people, Emily of Deep Valley, Emily Webster struggles to find a balance between her own love of learning and her obligation to care for the elderly grandfather who raised her. Emily, who must give up her dream of university life, finds that by "mustering her wits" and bravely facing her problems, she can learn more than she ever thought possible.
Whether or not your child plans to take the SAT or ACT, take the time to talk about goals, failure and success together. Looking at standardized tests objectively is an important part of this process.
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