LAINEE TARBE
AuthorTitle
As if preparing for college admission isn’t complicated and overwhelming enough, the class of 2010 has no one to look to for inspiration. Since April 11, the new, perfect score for the SAT is 2400 instead of 1600. This increase is caused by the new writing section. The SAT still consists of the memorable mathematics and critical reading sections, which are scored on a scale of 200 to 800. The writing section is also scored on this scale, designating 2400 as the new 1600.
Universities and colleges look forward to accepting these scores, but many students are afraid they will have difficulty comparing their scores with past scores. However, the more scores colleges receive, the more comfortable they will become with them. “As of now,” Dave Staples, associate director of Admissions for Seaver College said, “we have not received enough applications to make any sort of accurate statements about scores on the new SAT.” The new SAT format, although young, is not going unnoticed.
While this increase in scoring has many students, parents, teachers and counselors concerned, the College Board, which creates and administers the SAT, insists that the new SAT may be different but it will not be more difficult. The SAT is still all multiple-choice except for the new writing section. This new addition consists of a 25-minute written essay. Although the topic is not revealed prior to test-taking, examples and sample essays are available on the College Board’s website at www.collegeboard.com.
The essay will be scored by trained and qualified high school teachers and college professors who primarily teach English. Each essay will be examined by two individuals who meet these criteria. The essay will be scored on the writer’s ability to develop a point of view, use reasoning and evidence to support that point of view and follow the conventions of standard written English. The graders understand the time limitation and therefore, evaluate the essay as a first draft.
Some members of the class of 2010 see themselves as guinea pigs and worry about what their new scores will mean to colleges who have become accustomed to the maximum score of 1600. However, many students many seem to be overlooking the fact that this section could actually help them. The essay allows test-takers to showcase their creative talents, along with their ability to organize and think critically. A high score on the essay section is much more than just a number. It represents a student’s ability and skill.
Universities and colleges are able to view these essays, not just the scores. Although different colleges will examine the essays differently, the essay could influence their decision of admission. Pepperdine University is following this policy. “We will be looking at the writing scores,” Staple, said “and possibly reading the essays themselves, in the admission process.” Since the class of 2010 and beyond have little say in the changes of the SAT, students should focus on their writing and look at it as another way for a college to become acquainted with their personality.
Colleges could also use the essay scores for placement in English Composition or other related courses. Although it would be to the student’s advantage if the essay portion of the SAT could eliminate the need for further placement tests, it is highly unlikely this step could be avoided. Using just the SAT writing score for placement could cause more inconvenience and problems. Many high school teachers worry that too much emphasis will be placed on these tests and students could be placed in the incorrect class if the essay scores are used as placement determinations as well.
Although the SAT’s structure and scoring have changed, the reasons for taking the test have not. The SAT assesses a student’s ability to analyze and solve problems, therefore measuring their critical thinking skills. Still, students, parents, teachers and college counselors must remember that this score is not the only factor in determining whether a student will be admitted to a specific college. Much emphasis is placed on the SAT, yet these scores will not predict how well a student will perform in college.
The class of 2010 is still obsessed and confused about their scores. “It’s nerve-racking to know that my college career is kind of dependent on this test,” Natalie Kolodinski, 17, said “especially since some colleges don’t even know what they’re looking for because they don’t have any comparison.” The new scoring scale of 200 to 800 has created much concern as to how these students are suppose to compare their scores with previous classes. Even though their personal scores have nothing to do with anyone else’s it seems unnatural not to want to compare scores and find out where they stand among the rest of the nation’s testers. A basic rule for comparing the old with the new is to shave one-third off the new total score. For example, a new score of 1650 is equivalent to an old score of 1100. This equation allows students to compare their score with say, their older sibling’s score.
There is no question the addition of the essay portion of the SAT has caused debate. Yet, as colleges continue to place more emphasis on writing it is only natural that high school teachers also stress English composition in their classrooms. Just as education evolves, so must the SAT. Although the class of 2010 may feel short-changed now, soon other classes will join them with total scores ranging from 600 to 2400 and this too shall become the norm.
With new a section and scoring scale, the SAT has had a face lift. Although these changes were announced in 2002, many students, teachers and high school counselors seem to have been caught off guard. Here are some of the surprising changes:
- The test was lengthened by 45 minutes, bringing it to three hours and 45 minutes.
- Along with the math and critical reading sections, a writing section has been added. Twenty-five minutes is allotted for students to write an essay on an assigned topic. This is scored and examined by qualified and experienced English teachers as a first draft.
- Scores for each of the three sections (writing, math and critical reading) range from 200 to 800. A perfect score has increased from 1600 to 2400.
- Verbal analogies and quantitative comparisons in mathematics have been eliminated. However, the math section now includes advanced algebra, including Algebra II.
Still, the College Board had significant reason for change. High school classrooms stress developing, organizing and expressing opinions through writing, rather than lessons in analogies, since it is such an important aspect of college. Still, the new math and critical reading scores can be compared to the math and verbal scores on the old test, for those who feel the need to compare the old with the new.
12-15-2005