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101802 Choice eliminated, but the game continues
By LAURA LEFKOWITZ
This past Saturday thousands of high school students around the country took SAT II subject reasoning tests at focal high schools. This year, however, for the first time since 1993. they did not have the "Score Choice" option.
In past years, Score Choice allowed students to take tests multiple times and later pick and choose their best scores to send off to colleges and universities. Now, after an almost unanimous ruling by the College Board's Guidance and Admissions Assembly Council, the option will no longer exist. The board found that the program gave an unfair advantage to affluent students who could afford to take the test several times, while hiding their scores.
Additionally, it was reported that many students would forget to release their scores when applying to colleges, as the Score Choice option would hold the scores until specifically notified to release them to colleges and universities, Although students continue to have the opportunity to take tests more than once, now their record will show all scores, high and low.
The College Board is pleased with its decision, and most colleges and universities say that it will have little effect, as they usually look at only the applicant's highest scores anyway. But what do high school students think about this decision?
"I wish they would keep (Score Choice), because it was a great safety net in case you really messed up or just had a bad day, said Fox Lane junior Kathryn Everett "I think that kids really relied on it. If they did not do well, they wouldn't show colleges that score. Echoing these sentiments, fellow Fox Lane junior Charlie Waln added, "It made kids feel more at ease when taking the test. Now kids may feel more pressure to perform well, and might end up doing worse. It should be their prerogative (to chose which scores to send off) people should be able to release only what they're confident in."
While these new rules apply to the tests being taken thus October and thereafter old scores that had been "Score Choiced" in the past by students who am living through this transition will he held until the student requests their release.
"It's hard for seniors and juniors because we are in the muddle of this whole changeover," said senior Julia Nathan, who has become accustomed to the Score Choice option over the past three years. "I can pick and choose from all the SAT's I've taken in the past, but now I don't know what to do about the ones 1 was planning on taking this year.
I'm a little scared to take certain tests over just in ease I might do worse than before. If we still had Score Choice I wouldn't have to worry."
Despite the negative response by many Fox Lane High School students, there still exist those who have managed to find a positive side to this change.
"Kids will just have to study harder or take more prep classes and take each test more seriously," argued sophomore Laura Richardson, who is it newcomer to these tests and never had the Score Choice option- 'Look at it this way' Now you will just have to take the test fewer times as long as you prep for it as best you can."
But this idea of "prep classes" and tutors raises another argument
"They say its unfair that kids who have more money get an advantage with Score Choice. But it is just as if not more, unfair that these same kids can afford to pay for extra tutors and classes to improve. Not everyone can do that either," said Kathryn.
So where does it stop? That is a good question that lately many colleges and universities have been addressing more and more Many schools do not ask for SAT II's at all from applicants, and those that do are tending to weigh them less and less, Observers say that the weight of the SAT I and ACT aptitude tests are also on the downward trend for this same reason: money.
Students who, can afford it often will attend prep classes such as Kaplan or the Princeton Review, of even hire private tutors to raise their scores, Less affluent students often do not have such luxuries, and it can show in students 'scores.
Summing it all up, Julia said with some frustration "Regardless of how you look at it, the college admittance process (including standardized tests) Is a game, No, matter how you change the rules or the tests, it will always remain a game that students have to learn how to play."
(Laura Lefkowitz is a senior at Fox Large High School )