By Haleigh Miller ’12, News Section Editor
“Families shouldn’t have to spend the equivalent of a college classes’ tuition just to get ready to take the SAT.”-Jason Shah.
Over the past years, it’s undeniable that college admissions have grown increasingly competitive. Part of that increased difficulty is based on pressure for students to attain higher test scores. It’s become commonplace for students to enlist the help of a tutor, online programs, or other study aids before embarking on the glorious task of standardized testing. Many are of the opinion that the more effective forms of test prep require a personal touch, either from a class or personal tutor. But those more individual forms of preparation are more expensive. Does that give those with a pecuniary advantage a leg up to get better test scores, and, by extension, a better shot at college acceptances?
The way I see it, yes. To some extent at the very least, students who have access to personal tutors and reputed test prep classes have an unfair advantage. Granted, there are various programs available at no charge, but have you ever heard someone say “the best test prep available is on this free website”? Sure, some of those programs are very good, and do get recommended by college counselors. But, at CCDS and other schools, that recommendation is quickly followed by the suggestion of finding a good tutor or taking a class. When all’s said and done, the consensus is usually that individualized preparation is more effective in producing higher test scores.
But what about the people who either can’t or don’t have access to extensive test prep? They’re essentially left to their own devices. Unless they’re unusually good test takers, it seems to me that they’re at a serious disadvantage, whether it’s because of their location, socio-economic standing, or any other myriad of reasons. Does that seem even remotely fair?
Don’t get me wrong— I’ve worked with a tutor for nearly seven months. In the world we’re living in now, it’s one of the best ways I can think of to improve my chances of going to the college of my choice. I know for a fact that my scores jumped significantly from where they would be if I took the SAT/ACT without working with a tutor or even from where they would be if I practiced on my own. So, by working with a tutor, I’ve improved my acceptance chances. That’s clearly to my benefit. But what about the high school students across the country that don’t have the same kind of opportunity? My inflated test scores make it that much harder for them to be accepted.
My point is certainly not that every free program is worthless. There are a growing number of incredibly well reviewed free programs online. However, not every student is informed about them, and it’s possible that self-esteem plays a role in test scores. I’ve found it fairly reassuring to know that I’ve done months of test prep, and have very specific strategies to get the highest test score I know I can achieve. If I hadn’t done all the practice I have, I’m extremely certain I would feel much more unsettled by standardized testing, and it’s well documented that nerves can affect performance. Remind me again how this scenario is fair all around?
Programs like I Need A Pencil (INAP), a free online tutoring program similar to those offered by Princeton Review and Kaplan are moving in the right direction. In fact, INAP offers more prep opportunities with the same amount of individualization for $400 to $700 less. Kaplan and Princeton Review offer limited numbers of practice tests and questions, whereas INAP is endless. Jason Shah, founder of INAP, is quoted in an article on Good.is saying “Charging so much puts SAT prep out of most families’ reach. What are we saying? That only rich kids deserve to be prepared for the SAT?” Well Mr. Shah, I tend to agree with you.
While working with a tutor before taking the SAT clearly isn’t cheating, I really don’t think it’s entirely fair. Obviously, the students with tutors are still taking the tests themselves and doing their own work. Tutors just show students how to get the best score they’re capable of. But students who don’t have that opportunity are certainly at a disadvantage.
Do I have a solution for rectifying the situation? Not one guaranteed to be effective. But should an effort be made to improve free standardized test prep? I think so. There’s no way to stop the increasingly competitive trends in college admissions, but maybe there’s a way to increase the chances of all students of meeting those standards. Personally, my own overly-idealistic goal would be to set aside one bell during one day of the year and show, or at the very least, tell sophomores and juniors in every high school about free test-prep opportunities. Would that entirely rectify the problem? Of course not. Depending on how deeply you delve into the problem, you run into problems like “I don’t have access to a computer” or “I don’t have time to do any kind of prep.” It’s an unsolvable issue. But, the fact that colleges place a good deal of emphasis (yes, of course it’s a “holistic look” at your entire transcript, but still) on standardized test scores that can be manipulated based on the resources at your disposal is a problem that needs addressing, because in the long run, it can contribute to the unfair rejection of students who have all the abilities, but none of the advantages.
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