Why Take the SAT

Every year, roughly two million US students and hundreds of thousands worldwide take the SAT. Most of these students are college-bound, and virtually every college in the US accepts the SAT as a form of entrance exam. Many of those colleges actually require the SAT for admission. Other students take the SAT because they are obliged to by school, county (parish), or state standards. Hence, we know the obvious reasons why students take the SAT. However, here are five uncommon reasons that you should take the SAT (and take it seriously!)

1. It Keeps Showing Up!
Believe it or not, there is life beyond college. Once you graduate, you will be expected to get a job and provide for yourself (and potentially for your family). In applying for a job, you will probably note aspects of your education, work experience, and background. You may even list professional certifications or industry expertise. What many applicants are finding now, however, is that the better employers these days are asking for your SAT scores in your job application! We're not saying this to scare you or to apply more pressure to you, but it is true. Since SAT scores measure your ability to reason, many employers are interested in how you performed on the SAT - after all, a good employee is one who can figure things out for himself, or reason. The SAT is also a good measure of your intelligence and perhaps your work ethic as a younger person. Therefore, you should take the SAT not only to enter college, but to enter the workplace.

2. Money Does Not Grow on Trees
Every year, we hear about two different types of college-bound students. One applies to his state school, gets accepted, and attends. His parents worry about paying for college, he has less discretionary spending money, and he has to take out a loan. The other applies to his state school, gets accept, and also attends. However, his parents are vacationing and have more money to give him for smoothies and snacks. What is the difference between these two students?

It could very well be SAT score. Virtually all scholarships require you to report your SAT score in order to apply, and some of them even specify score cutoffs. You will be unlikely to receive a great scholarship with mediocre scores, but putting in the extra effort can really pay off in a tangible and rewarding way.

3. Sticking With the Best
Even if you are accepted to the college of your choice, you will have to be sorted out to different levels of classes. If you excel on the SAT, you will likely be able to skip the introductory math class or writing skills class that everyone who slacked off now has to take. You may even be considered for placement into a higher-level class. he point is simple: if you want to repeat what you've already learned in high school, do a poor job on the test. If you want to excel in college, excel on the SAT.

4. It's Easier than the ACT!
No, really! Here are a few points about the ACT that make it a more challenging test:

Grammar section includes comma usage, convention questions
Math section includes trig and pre-calculus
More questions over a shorter period of time
Passages based at a higher reading level
Scoring less flexible (only 36 different ACT scores while there are 180 different cumulative SAT scores)
Arguably tougher curve
5. Why Not the Best?
Let's say you've had a spotty high school career. Maybe you've slacked off through some of the more mundane course offerings, or maybe you've had a tough time in that AP Biology class. Taking the SAT and scoring high is a great way to demonstrate your strengths to others, especially college admissions boards. There are countless stories of C-students who earn a near-perfect score on the SAT, and there are countless numbers of A-students who bomb the test. Don't take a chance! Do well on the SAT and it will reflect well on you.

Myths about SAT

Because the SAT is such a prevalent test, there are a number of misconceptions about the test or testing format. These myths about the SAT can be more than misleading to the test taker - they can negatively impact his score or his chances of college admission. Listed below are the top ten misconceptions about the SAT (not in any order):

1. In general, it's better not to guess on a question
Actually, this is partially true. If you are totally stumped on a question and cannot even eliminate a single answer choice, then yes, you should omit the question. However, if you can eliminate even one choice, it is statistically to your advantage to guess among the four choices on that question. The College Board applies a "guessing penalty" of one-quarter of a question per missed question and does not penalize for omitted questions, so guess accordingly.

2. The length of the essay is irrelevant
Even though the College Board will tell you that the length of an essay is not related to its score, studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between essay length and higher scores. Therefore, it is always better to write an essay that is lengthier and incorporates more details, examples, and experiences. However, you should not fill an essay with "fluff" - such mundane, wasted words only annoy the graders.

3. The best time to take the SAT is on (so-and-so) testing date
We've heard this one time and time again. Many students feel that the curve is easier on the June and September testing dates because more students who performed poorly on the first test are retaking, or because fewer students overall are taking the test. Neither of these claims is necessarily true, and there is virtually no link between difficulty of the curve and testing date. Test after you have studied, and base your decision only on your own abilities.

4. You can guess which section is the "experimental" one
Simply put, there is really no way to determine the "experimental" section. It could be writing, math, or reading. It could feature easier or tougher questions. You should not work "less hard" on a section because you think it is the experimental section

5. Since the Writing section is new, it doesn't matter/It's harder
The Writing section has a lower mean score because it is newer, but most prepared students actually find the Writing section easier than the Reading section. In fact, students who have taken test preparation courses experience the highest score increase in Writing. Along those same lines, even though the section is new, you cannot dismiss it. Colleges may claim not to look at it, but it's right there next to your other two scores on the score report. Don't take your chances - do well!

6. Re-Testing "looks bad"
Total nonsense. Almost all colleges do not consider a student who re-tests any worse than the student who does not, and most students re-test. Why? Re-testing usually marks a very medicore increase in score because the SAT is designed to test intelligence, not knowledge. Students do not typically become "more intelligent" between testing periods. However, some students experience great success after preparing for the exam. In general, if you are not happy with your score, re-testing is a great option.

7. You should use your calculator to solve most math problems
The students who receive 800's on the math section are typically not the ones who are calculator whizzes - they are simply better-prepared for the exam. Using a graphing calculator to solve simple math problems may seem like a great solution to your math issues, but in the end you will only be shorting yourself. Calculators require time and effort and are prone to input errors. While practicing for the math section, do as much as you can without a calculator.

8. The SAT doesn't really matter anyway/doesn't test intelligence
We can debate the merits of the SAT all day, but at the end of the day, it is the standard for college entrance. Just as you should not become infatuated with SAT preparation, you should not blow off the SAT. Your personal opinion is not that of the college you will be applying to.

9. A bad score may be due to a bad day
Unless you were sleep-deprived during a particular day, it is unlikely that re-testing alone will boost your score. Many people attribute low scores to "having a bad day," but research shows that this is generally not the source of the low score. If you get a bad score, take it as such - don't blame your mood or the way you felt - and find out how you can improve.