Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a fierce debate about whether or not standardized tests like the SAT are beneficial or harmful. Even though standardized tests have been made with the goal of making them more equal for students from different schools, regions, and countries, the SAT has faced multiple PR scandals from celebrity bribery to racial bias.
However, most top college applications still required them until the pandemic hit. It is yet unsure what is going to happen in the grand scheme of things, but College Board already has permanently discontinued the SAT Subject Tests and the optional essay portion of the regular SAT.
The Unknown Future of the SAT
Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Penn, Dartmouth, and Stanford have stated that they will remain test optional through the high school class of 2023, with Cornell remaining test optional through the high school class of 2024, and Harvard even through 2026. However, test-optional means that you can still send the scores in, which poses some questions: Should you still take the SAT? Is it going to hurt your chances if you don’t?
With the incredibly low acceptance rates of these top universities, you definitely want to make the right choices to be considered as a viable candidate for the school. Now, let’s dive deeper into the topic so that you’ll gain some clarity on whether you should sign up for the test or not.
What are your grades?
One of the stated benefits of the SAT is that you can compensate for lower grades with a higher SAT. Taking the SAT definitely requires less effort than a full semester or year of keeping up top-notch grades. If your grades are already at the top of your class, taking the SAT might be less necessary for you than if you had lower grades. Most schools do not have a specific GPA cutoff, so you have to use your own judgment here a little bit.
It is also helpful to look at your class rank. If you are among the top of your class, you don’t need to worry as much as if you are an average student in your school. A good SAT score can make you help stand out as an average student.
What does your schedule look like?
Everyone has a different timeline for their college applications, so you need to take a look at your priorities. If you are only a first or second grader in high school, you have ample time to study and take the SAT, but if you are already a senior in college, you are getting rather busy. It’s not enough for you to just sign up and go take the exam, but you need multiple weeks to prepare for the test. How much is your current schedule allowing time for studying for the SAT?
Keep in mind that you probably have school, hobbies, and maybe even a part-time job that you need to spend a lot of time on. If the application deadline is not that far away and you are really busy, I recommend you perhaps not take the SAT and instead focus on the other parts of your application. If you go to the SAT having just crammed for a few days, you likely will get a low score and waste time that you could have used writing and editing your essays.
When and where is the SAT offered?
The SAT is offered a few times a year. Depending on your application timeline, you may have a few options, or just one. Internationally, the SAT is often offered only in bigger cities, so depending on your location you might have to travel a long distance. If you have a very important time conflict or you would have to travel further than what would be okay to demand, you have a good reason not to take the SAT.
A good reason is not that you simply prefer to sleep in or you don’t want to take an early morning train to a test center one hour away. If you have a very important family obligation or would have to travel abroad for the test, that is already more understandable. At the end of the Common Application, there is a section for additional information, so you should write a few sentences there regarding your situation.
What is your current level?
Related to the previous point, you need to see if your schedule allows you to study and prepare for the exam. However, the time you need is based on your current ability and level, so you should start by taking a practice test and see how you score. Obviously, a practice test will not guarantee the same score on the actual test, but you might get an idea. If you score very low, you should prioritize more time for it. On the other hand, if you already handle it quite well and need less preparation, taking it takes less of your time and energy.
Are you an international student?
If yes, you have some additional points to think about. First, taking the SAT might be beneficial to you because it gives an indication, albeit imperfect, about how you fare against domestic students. The smaller country you come from, the more helpful this could be. Harvard admissions officers are probably fairly knowledgeable about the school system in big countries like Canada, but smaller countries might have their own quirks that most people just don’t know about. This was one of the reasons why for example Harvard pretty much required international students to take two SAT Subject tests, while it was optional for domestic students.
However, if you came to the conclusion in the earlier points that you do not have enough time or resources to take it, you won’t get automatically rejected. In this case, you should ask your teachers and school counselor to write more about your academic performance in the context of your school and country. For example, my counselor could write in the letter of recommendation that my school leaving exam scores were among the top 1% in the country.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you need to use your own judgment to decide whether or not you want to take the SAT. It will be interesting whether the SAT will become obsolete entirely, or whether it will stand the test of time. If you do decide that you want to take the test, check out my post about SAT Study Tips.