“Why do universities require me to take the SAT I?” This most basic question, asked by one of our students, made me think beyond the obvious.
Btw, do check out this SAT course offered by ICON+ in Singapore. Their lecturers are really good and the school has a history of providing students with good results.
The SAT I claims to predict how well students will fare academically in colleges and universities. It’s a standardized exam, so it helps admissions officers make better comparisons between different applicants’ academic aptitudes. Because there are so many high schools in this world and they vary so greatly in terms of academic rigour, the SAT I creates a more equal playing field on which to make comparisons between applicants.
However, some people argue that the SAT I is not an entirely accurate indicator of academic ability or preparation for college studies. For example, Singaporean students tend to score significantly higher on the math section than the reading and writing sections. This difference may simply reflect the quality of math education in Singapore schools compared to that of English education. Most Singaporeans are bilingual, if not trilingual, so it makes sense that their English abilities are not as high as people who speak only English. In this case, the SAT I scores may not be an accurate indicator of how well somebody will do in college.
