Sat Scores For College Placement
Why are one third of our country's universities using the SAT or Scholastic Assessment Test to determine student placement in their classes' freshman year? The new addition to the SAT that consists of a timed twenty-five minute essay is an inadequate way to determine the initial placement of freshman college students. The short amount of time that is given to produce the essay will altogether encourage poor writing. A proficient writer simply cannot compose an essay in twenty five minutes that showcases their best writing; it is more their critical ability to rework and polish what they have written.
I can appreciate that colleges are up to their heads in paper work and scheduling freshman for the first semester. I can also appreciate that they might elect to use this essay as a way to save time in allocating class resources. But is saving time in and of itself really more important than knowing the real potential each student possesses to be able to place them in class that suits them best? Their college professor is not going to grade them on the ability to write an impressive paper in twenty-five minutes. Yet, universities are requiring it for placement in their classes. When a student sits down to take the SAT, they are focused on so much more than just the small writing part, they are also taking Math and English at the same time. Their total focus is not just on the essay they are going to have to write, but more on the other larger parts of the test. Colleges should give a separate essay where the students are allowed more time and are only focused on writing that single essay. It seems like a more idealistic way of judging someone's writing talent. Even though it would cost more and would take up more time it would give students a better chance at portraying their writing abilities.
Writing is an acquired talent and takes a lot of practice to develop those skills. There are many schools across the country where little writing is taught,...
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