What's My Beef?

"Standardized tests are believed to be one of the most effective tools for predicting student success in college." Whether you believe that or not, it’s a fact that many colleges require either the ACT or SAT before granting your admission to their schools and an impressive score on one of these tests is what ultimately sets you apart from other applicants. Every Wednesday on my dad's radio show, he has "What's your beef Wednesday" where listeners call in to express what is really getting to them. One Wednesday I would love to call in and discuss my beef with standardized tests. Why are they such a big deal? Why do parents pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for their kids to be tutored on the SAT/ACT, for a test!?! Many people say that the best way to study for these tests is to actually KNOW how the test works, not the material. After everything we have learned this week, we've realized that there is actually more to intelligence than just school smarts. You may get straight A's your whole life, but you may have no sense of communicating. I don't care if you are as smart as Albert Einstein, if you cannot have a conversation with someone then you probably won't be successful in life. My mom always tells me that it's so interesting to be a teacher because now that her students have families and are part of the working force, she can really see who is successful. She always tells me that people who were not necessarily the smartest in the class grade wise are now successful in all fields of life. So does it really matter what college you go to? I guess not. As long as you do well, you are bound to find success somewhere. I like hearing Mrs. Tsuna say that each year colleges are caring more about extra curriculars, volunteer work, etc. These are things that you are specifically talented in and colleges want to know that you have talents because grades and scores are not what sets you apart from everyone else. However, these scores are still extremely important, and if you have a low SAT score then you are almost guaranteed to be put into the 'NO' pile. It is a sad truth, but maybe in the near future there will be some other sort of test such as an emotional/creative/social test that can really show how successful you will be in life because colleges ultimately want students who will be successful and make a difference in the world.