My mindset as a teenager (see the "Our Story" portion of our Facebook page) was that my peers and I were so unique that standardized tests, while maybe fit for ordinary American youth, couldn't possibly begin to quantify our giftedness, and thus I could ignore them. That's what I'd been taught to believe for twelve years, and it was easy enough to embrace if it meant I got to skip a lengthy, rigorous, boring process.
I think that in 1996, I was in the minority. At least it was and is my belief that most college-bound American kids at the time more accepted and valued the SAT's than my classmates and I did. In general, I think my friends outside of school found the test a normal part of life, tried to live up to its standards, and believed that their results more or less reflected their abilities.
Fast forward twenty years. I started teaching the SAT (and many other standardized tests for middle school, high school, and college admissions) in 2015, two iterations of the test later, figuring I'd be meeting mostly with students who likewise respected the process and wished to perform well. However, to my surprise, I found that that type of student is now the minority. Most of my students, regardless of background or talent or anything else, believe they are special -- too special for the test. Their parents tell them so. Evidently their schools tell them so, too, since they report A grades but often have no basic understanding of geography or history. I could blame it on Americans' diseased egos and too much pampering, and that certainly plays a role, but then how to account for students who have the same attitude and come from home countries where school systems are far more rigorous and unforgiving than ours?
I haven't investigated the causes deeply. I just know that 80% of my SAT and ACT students come to their first sessions prepared with a reason why the test will be especially difficult for them: a learning disorder, severe test anxiety, a hectic schedule, athletic or dance commitments, poor time management skills, lack of sleep, etc. These facts are presented not as helpful background but as excuses why I should not expect too much of the student. They've essentially constructed an argument ahead of time as to why this will be hard for them and why they therefore won't be trying too much. Idea being that this student is so fragile that rather than bend him to the test and show him how to improve, I'm to bend the test to him, hiding everything onerous and revealing only how good he is at what he can already do. Which may not be much.
Laziness aside, I think the essential fear here is, "these tests are too impersonal and limited to fully evaluate or reflect me as an individual." And that is totally fair and accurate. It was my argument in high school. But if you're going to take one of these tests, you should take that statement as pro facto. That's the nature of the task you've entered into, willingly or seriously or not. There's no point signing on and then complaining about it. Instead, look at what you can do with the opportunity.
I'm not saying that people don't have individual struggles. Obviously we all have something going on, whether chronic or temporary. I'm just saying there is immense personal reward to be reaped from working against a system that doesn't care about you and upon which you have no influence, like the SAT. That's the way a lot of life is. We don't join a company or institution and then rewrite the rules to suit ourselves. We can't expect everyone to like us or go out of their way for us. We can't always carry a doctor's note around saying why things will be tough for us. Challenge and achievement are about pitting yourself against obstacles and doing what isn't easy. In the process, you learn something about yourself and get stronger and better. If you never push yourself, you never grow.
So yes, it's an unfeeling bubble test. So what? You know something the test doesn't. It's only a system, and the human mind is built to create and manipulate systems. So while the test has to stay within its programmed rules, you get to learn those rules and work with them, being as flexible and creative and individual as you need to score those points. You learn strategies. You gain self-knowledge. If you tackle this process seriously at a young age, you'll be ahead of the game.
For other benefits of SAT and ACT preparation, please check out this video on my YouTube Channel. If you enjoyed this post, please visit my website at www.georgiagelmis.com to find out how I can help your student. Email contact@georgiagelmis.com, phone 917-574-8662.
I think that in 1996, I was in the minority. At least it was and is my belief that most college-bound American kids at the time more accepted and valued the SAT's than my classmates and I did. In general, I think my friends outside of school found the test a normal part of life, tried to live up to its standards, and believed that their results more or less reflected their abilities.
Fast forward twenty years. I started teaching the SAT (and many other standardized tests for middle school, high school, and college admissions) in 2015, two iterations of the test later, figuring I'd be meeting mostly with students who likewise respected the process and wished to perform well. However, to my surprise, I found that that type of student is now the minority. Most of my students, regardless of background or talent or anything else, believe they are special -- too special for the test. Their parents tell them so. Evidently their schools tell them so, too, since they report A grades but often have no basic understanding of geography or history. I could blame it on Americans' diseased egos and too much pampering, and that certainly plays a role, but then how to account for students who have the same attitude and come from home countries where school systems are far more rigorous and unforgiving than ours?
I haven't investigated the causes deeply. I just know that 80% of my SAT and ACT students come to their first sessions prepared with a reason why the test will be especially difficult for them: a learning disorder, severe test anxiety, a hectic schedule, athletic or dance commitments, poor time management skills, lack of sleep, etc. These facts are presented not as helpful background but as excuses why I should not expect too much of the student. They've essentially constructed an argument ahead of time as to why this will be hard for them and why they therefore won't be trying too much. Idea being that this student is so fragile that rather than bend him to the test and show him how to improve, I'm to bend the test to him, hiding everything onerous and revealing only how good he is at what he can already do. Which may not be much.
Laziness aside, I think the essential fear here is, "these tests are too impersonal and limited to fully evaluate or reflect me as an individual." And that is totally fair and accurate. It was my argument in high school. But if you're going to take one of these tests, you should take that statement as pro facto. That's the nature of the task you've entered into, willingly or seriously or not. There's no point signing on and then complaining about it. Instead, look at what you can do with the opportunity.
I'm not saying that people don't have individual struggles. Obviously we all have something going on, whether chronic or temporary. I'm just saying there is immense personal reward to be reaped from working against a system that doesn't care about you and upon which you have no influence, like the SAT. That's the way a lot of life is. We don't join a company or institution and then rewrite the rules to suit ourselves. We can't expect everyone to like us or go out of their way for us. We can't always carry a doctor's note around saying why things will be tough for us. Challenge and achievement are about pitting yourself against obstacles and doing what isn't easy. In the process, you learn something about yourself and get stronger and better. If you never push yourself, you never grow.
So yes, it's an unfeeling bubble test. So what? You know something the test doesn't. It's only a system, and the human mind is built to create and manipulate systems. So while the test has to stay within its programmed rules, you get to learn those rules and work with them, being as flexible and creative and individual as you need to score those points. You learn strategies. You gain self-knowledge. If you tackle this process seriously at a young age, you'll be ahead of the game.
For other benefits of SAT and ACT preparation, please check out this video on my YouTube Channel. If you enjoyed this post, please visit my website at www.georgiagelmis.com to find out how I can help your student. Email contact@georgiagelmis.com, phone 917-574-8662.
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