SATs and Chilling Out, For Eff’s Sake
Tomorrow is the Nov. 5th SAT, which I can guarantee is freaking the crap right out of teenagers across the nation. Poor bastards. When I took the Rite of Passage for American High School Students (standardized tests written by pain-in-the-ass adults whose heads are shoved so far up their exit ramps that they can no longer navigate reality), I must say I had a rather cavalier attitude about the whole thing. Almost twelve years of public school had made me quite the badass standardized test taker; I was unconcerned.
Most students don’t have that attitude. To them I advise chilling the eff out, this is not the end of the world. I promise. Shite of a much higher magnitude will befall you in the course of your lifetime, I can guarantee it. So quit your whining and suck it up, kiddos. You walk right in there with your #2 pencils and kick some standardized ass! Or don’t, and head for your 5th choice school. No biggie.
Need some advice on SATs and ACTs and how they may affect your future matriculation plans? Allen Grove is a font of information about college admissions. Here are four of his bits of wisdom:
Low SAT or ACT Scores? These Colleges Don’t Require the Tests
What ACT Scores Do You Need to Get Into College?
Are My SAT Scores Good Enough?
Low ACT Scores? What Now?
Further Reading (my cranky attitude toward standardized tests in general):
Secret SAT Scores
Colbert’s Wickedly True Take on the SATs
Testing Season Begins
An Excellent Argument for Abolishing the SAT
The Newly Unfabulous SAT
Awesome Parent
The SAT Is Not Good
College Admissions Testing: For and Against
January 23rd SAT Results
Calculating Potential
Kaplan SAT Prep Tools on Facebook
Posted by Alexa Harrington
(image: panic)
Similar experience, reverse conditions. I was told by teachers I had to take the SAT and ACT tests to apply for college but it was portrayed to me as nothing more than a formality, a ticket punch as it were. The most onerous parts of the experiences, which were only a couple of weeks apart, were getting pencils (I am a mechanical pencil guy,) and being cool for a hour or so after I finished the test and had checked it thrice. My little bubble of complacency got shattered a few weeks later when the scores came in and I found out how important they were from the frantic kids.