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Why Take the SAT?

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Why Take the SAT?

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[edit section] Why Take the SAT?

Every year, roughly two million US students and hundreds of thousands worldwide take the SAT. Most of these students are college-bound, and virtually every college in the US accepts the SAT as a form of entrance exam. Many of those colleges actually require the SAT for admission. Other students take the SAT because they are obliged to by school, county (parish), or state standards. Hence, we know the obvious reasons why students take the SAT. However, here are five uncommon reasons that you should take the SAT (and take it seriously!)

[edit section] 1. It Keeps Showing Up!

Believe it or not, there is life beyond college. Once you graduate, you will be expected to get a job and provide for yourself (and potentially for your family). In applying for a job, you will probably note aspects of your education, work experience, and background. You may even list professional certifications or industry expertise. What many applicants are finding now, however, is that the better employers these days are asking for your SAT scores in your job application! We're not saying this to scare you or to apply more pressure to you, but it is true. Since SAT scores measure your ability to reason, many employers are interested in how you performed on the SAT - after all, a good employee is one who can figure things out for himself, or reason. The SAT is also a good measure of your intelligence and perhaps your work ethic as a younger person. Therefore, you should take the SAT not only to enter college, but to enter the workplace.

[edit section] 2. Money Does Not Grow on Trees

Every year, we hear about two different types of college-bound students. One applies to his state school, gets accepted, and attends. His parents worry about paying for college, he has less discretionary spending money, and he has to take out a loan. The other applies to his state school, gets accept, and also attends. However, his parents are vacationing and have more money to give him for smoothies and snacks. What is the difference between these two students?

It could very well be SAT score. Virtually all scholarships require you to report your SAT score in order to apply, and some of them even specify score cutoffs. You will be unlikely to receive a great scholarship with mediocre scores, but putting in the extra effort can really pay off in a tangible and rewarding way.

[edit section] 3. Sticking With the Best

Even if you are accepted to the college of your choice, you will have to be sorted out to different levels of classes. If you excel on the SAT, you will likely be able to skip the introductory math class or writing skills class that everyone who slacked off now has to take. You may even be considered for placement into a higher-level class. he point is simple: if you want to repeat what you've already learned in high school, do a poor job on the test. If you want to excel in college, excel on the SAT.

[edit section] 4. It's Easier than the ACT!

No, really! There's a lot of talk about the ACT these days, and some guidance counselors may even steer you towards taking the ACT instead of the SAT. Don't do it! The SAT is much easier and less knowledge-based than the ACT; and, even though many colleges accept the ACT in place of the SAT, more colleges accept the SAT alone! Do you really want to have to end up taking the SAT anyway? Here are a few points about the ACT that make it a more challenging test:

  • Grammar section includes comma usage, convention questions
  • Math section includes trig and pre-calculus
  • More questions over a shorter period of time
  • Passages based at a higher reading level
  • Scoring less flexible (only 36 different ACT scores while there are 180 different cumulative SAT scores)
  • Arguably tougher curve

[edit section] 5. Why Not the Best?

Let's say you've had a spotty high school career. Maybe you've slacked off through some of the more mundane course offerings, or maybe you've had a tough time in that AP Biology class. Taking the SAT and scoring high is a great way to demonstrate your strengths to others, especially college admissions boards. There are countless stories of C-students who earn a near-perfect score on the SAT, and there are countless numbers of A-students who bomb the test. Don't take a chance! Do well on the SAT and it will reflect well on you.

[edit section] See Also: Other SAT Articles

All About the SAT

Fun SAT Quick Facts

SAT Myths

SAT and College Admissions

Improving Your SAT Score

Why Take the SAT?

What to Expect on Test Day

New SAT vs. Old SAT


SAT Subject Testing

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