Why the SAT shouldn’t matter so much

Colleges reassess the role of SAT in evaluating student potential
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By Ocean Threats, Staff Writer
Mar 21, 2025
Colleges are shifting away from SAT scores, recognizing that true academic potential goes beyond standardized test results.
Colleges are shifting away from SAT scores, recognizing that true academic potential goes beyond standardized test results.
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In recent years, an increasing number of colleges and universities have adopted test-blind or test-optional admissions policies, allowing students to apply without submitting Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores.

This shift gained significant momentum in 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic disrupted students’ ability to take the SAT. Now, what started as a temporary measure should become permanent. 

Standardized tests have played a major role in education for many years, with frequent district-wide tests being held throughout the year to measure students’ academic ability.

When it comes to college admissions, students shouldn’t be judged heavily based on a single exam. Luckily, progress has been made as universities realize this. 

Currently, over 1,600 universities have adopted a test-optional policy, giving students a choice in whether they want to submit their SAT score. 

The declining use of the SAT reflects the truth — the SAT is an imperfect and insufficient measure of intelligence. 

Simply put, the SAT does not show how successful a student will be on a college campus, nor does it reflect their full abilities or potential. 

The SAT’s inability to predict college success stems from its inherent bias. Students from more privileged backgrounds often have access to SAY prep courses and other resources designed specifically to boost scores.

Meanwhile, students from less privileged backgrounds, who may be just as smart and hardworking, aren’t afforded the same opportunities. 

Eliminating the heavy reliance on SAT scores represents a critical and correct turning point in how we define academic intelligence. 

A student’s years of hard work and dedication to their education should not be undermined by one test score. 

As a society, we are growing to understand that standardized tests fail to capture the full essence of a student’s capabilities. If universities are able continue this upward trend, then our education system will be better off.

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About the contributor
Ocean Threats
Ocean Threats, Staff Writer
Ocean Threats, a senior, is a staff writer for the opinion section but she also hosts a man on the street style show for the school called The Real Humans of Van Nuys High School. Threats is also part of her school’s Dance company and has been dancing since she was 6 but stopped dancing outside of school when she was 11. Her favorite artist is Mitski and even though Mitski is known as a sad artist, Threats listens to her when she’s happy. Threats’ favorite movie is “Matilda” and it has been since she first watched it when she was 7 years old. Threats is not always a very political person but she is very responsive to debates and discussions about women’s rights.Threats wants to continue to pursue journalism in the future while also getting her license in cosmetology.
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