Last Saturday morning, classrooms throughout the high school were filled with juniors and sophomores taking the three hour long PSAT (Preliminary SAT). Aside from the unlikely possibility of receiving scholarships by scoring perfectly on the test, the main reason for taking the test is for students to gauge how well they will perform on the actual SAT Reasoning Test.

By taking the PSAT, students are able to learn what to expect on an actual SAT, as well as their strengths and weaknesses regarding the test. In a sense, for juniors, taking the PSAT officially marks the start of their college application process. Once students receive their PSAT scores, many begin to create study plans and sign up for SAT prep classes in order to develop effective test taking strategies.

The emphasis and frenzy surrounding the SAT has grown significantly in recent years. The SAT has now become an obsession among many students and parents due to its emphasis in the college application process. Some families spend fortunes to hire private SAT tutors, putting students who cannot afford them at a disadvantage.

As students and parents invest so much to prepare for the SAT, an inevitable question comes up: Is the SAT Reasoning Test worth that much?

The test only assesses students for mathematics and English. While there are SAT Subject Tests, testing science, foreign languages, and other subjects, some say that colleges consider SAT Reasoning Test scores in order to narrow down the number of applicants they have. This is unfair, as some students may lack skills in mathematics and English but excel in other subjects.

Along with the limited number of subjects on the test, SAT Reasoning Test does not accurately represent students’ hard work in non-academic fields, which could determine their success in the future.

Recently, colleges have been reassessing SAT Reasoning Test’s importance and reliability. Several colleges such as Bowdoin, Bates, Knox, and Wake Forest College no longer require the SAT in the application process, placing it under the optional category.

Although colleges are slowly easing up on their emphasis on the SAT, this test for now still remains an inevitable step in the college application process. For many years to come, students will be spending much of their valuable time preparing for the SAT Reasoning Test, regardless of its true value.