Argumentative Essay: ACT Vs. SAT

The Great Debate is about the weather or not to keep The Constitution. Which the Anti-Federalists didn’t want around anymore. But The Federalists had believed that somebody had to have some type of power to keep all states in control at once. But it had to be ratified by at least 9/13 states to become a legal. But each side had their own opinions on how the states should be handled.

There has been an SAT optional movement in which many liberal arts colleges in the US decided not to require SAT or ACT scores as they thought it had outlived its usefulness.

Anyone who has ever taken the ACT or the SAT knows how stressful and difficult the tests are. Students are forever judged because of the scores the receive by colleges and peers. The ACT/SAT are standardized tests that are meant to calculate what students have learned in previous years of high school. Colleges then use this score to determine whether a student will succeed in college. Specific problems with this process include the fact that high schoolers are extremely busy and may have other things on their minds, the tests require brutal test prep, the test can cause stress and anxiety, and the tests do not accurately gage a student’s college success. For these main reasons, students should not be required to take the ACT/SAT to get into college.

A lot of colleges and Universities believe the score of a student’s SAT and ACT will help them make better

All of you at one point had to take either the ACT, SAT, or even both, and then had to wait nervously until you received your scores back which ultimately decided the rest of your educational career.

We already know that there has been a precipitous decline in the study of liberal arts because many people do not value it anymore. English and history are now being pushed aside for math or science. Fareed Zakaria, an American journalist and author, in his article, “What's the Use of a Liberal Education?” writes, “Even President Obama recently urged students to keep in mind that a technical training could be more valuable than a degree in art history. Majors like English, once very popular and highly respected, are in steep decline.” This mindset is causing many people to turn away from liberal arts-based subjects, so they can pursue something that would “be more valuable”.

The ACT and SAT were created to accurately measure the knowledge of our children and make sure they are prepared for college, yet often times it seems to have the opposite effect. Due to the tests, some students are deciding not to go to college just to avoid paying so much money when they do not think they can do well in college courses. Even if students do decide to go to college, they may avoid taking classes with large tests due to test phobia developed from the ACT or SAT (Paul 42). Seeing such low scores in certain subjects can lower a student’s confidence and willingness to take those classes in college. By not taking certain classes, a student is limiting what major they can complete which will lowering their career options (Paul 42). We can’t let this happen to our students! We can’t let one stupid test destroy the careers and futures of hundreds of teenagers. The long term effects of the trauma created by the ACT and SAT are detrimental to today’s students.

For many years, standardized tests have been a pillar of college admissions. Students are persuaded to take the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) because colleges believe the scores can predict an applicant’s academic success after high school. However, an increasing number of colleges have made reporting test scores optional due to inconsistencies with the tests, many of which have been emphasized by students. These inconsistencies and other problems with test distribution have led to increasing demands for standardized testing to be reformed or become optional in the admissions process. Standardized testing should be eliminated as a criterion for college applicants because the tests have made education less significant, have made scores vary among students with similar academic abilities, and have not contributed a noticeable improvement to children’s intelligence.

Anyone would be hard-pressed to find a politician in recent years who has been elected to a national office without promising to improve education and focus their efforts on the betterment of their constituents’ children. Many of these politicians have succeeded at passing legislation to do so, but the latest of these, the Common Core standards initiative, is facing a very important query right now: does it work in America? Although Common Core is very well intentioned and in selective ways could be considered a success, there are many failures to consider as well. When dealing with such education, a vital issue, these failures must be dealt with. In order to ensure not only an equal education but also one of higher quality which the citizenry

Many people dream of going to a well-known Public Four-Year College when they think about their future. But, for some, Community College is the only option. “ The Benefits Access for College Completion (BACC) initiative was a multi-year initiative designed to provide community college students with access to a full range of public benefits in order to reduce financial barriers to college completion.” (Duke-Benfield) This initiative took effect for people who attend college and have families to attend to at home.

Illinois moving to the SAT would be a disaster for several reasons. To begin, students and teachers have already begun preparing for the ACT. Teachers have spent hours studying the material on the test in order to ready their students. Students have signed up for preparatory classes and purchased ACT books to help them prepare for exam day. Money spent

Great question Amanda about the what results would we see nationwide if all states chose to incorporate the Common Core Standards? To look at the big picture of the Common Core State Standards Initiavtive, the purpose is to create a standard set for all students in the United States. When talking about the Common Core State Standards and how they affect students and educators we must remember where this argument started from. In the 21st century of learning Barth (2004) reminds us that "we are not just preparting workers, we are preparing citizens. It is our interest ,then, as much our responisbility to make sure that all our young people are prepared for the furture."

The FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) which is a statewide standardized test for the state of Florida schools, is a test that you must pass in order to graduate and so that you would not have an intensive class. You start taking the FCAT in the 3rd grade. In the tenth grade, once you pass the reading FCAT, you don’t have to take it in your junior and senior year. I sat in this bland testing room impatiently waiting for our proctor to tell us to start, thinking to myself, I have to pass this test so I won’t have to take it anymore. Not knowing that I would be setting myself up for failure by pressuring myself, I took the test. Once I completed the test, I felt that I did not do my best, but I continued with hopes that I did. The scary thing was I would not know my results until the summer before school start back for my junior year.

Times. http://www.nytimes.com.2008/02/19/world /americas/19iht-princeton.1.10175351.html Fitzsimmons, W. 2014. Time out or Burn out for the Next Generation. Retrieved from

It is often assumed that failure is a deterrent to achievement. Rather, failure should be seen as a motivator for a person to keep trying until the objective or aim of a particular mission is fulfilled.