How Important is the SAT?

Educating our children is one of the most important things that we can do as parents as we all want to give them the best possible start in life. Some of us will attempt to teach our children at home, on top of the education they receive at school, especially when it comes to the SAT. Despite not being part of the schooling system many students get incredibly worked up about the SAT as they are under the impression that it is a vital exam that they must pass. What the SAT does is to measure a student’s readiness for college. But, is this important? Why do so many people get stressed and think that their life is over should they fail to pass? To help answer these questions and more, here we are going to look at how important the SAT is.

For College

The college scene in the US is among the most competitive around because there are thousands of the brightest students from around the world all competing with domestic students. Many of these international students will be top of their class and as they attract high fees they are important for universities and colleges when it comes to making a profit. For a domestic student to even be considered for a place, they must have a good SAT score, and for the top universities, it must be a top score. For this reason, many parents are pushy towards their children and insist that they sit the SAT, as it will give them the best opportunity to attend a good college, and therefore be better placed to have a great career.

Scholarships

Many students come from low-income families or live in deprived areas of the US and for them, it is a complete fantasy that they are going to get into a college without some form of scholarship because of the costs involved. This is where the SAT comes into play because a great score will narrow down the playing field and you could be selected for a bursary that makes attending college possible, so the harder you study at high school, the better SAT score you will get, and you are then open to the best education possible at a lower cost.

To Get a Job

Even if you have no intention of going to college it is important to take an SAT and to achieve a good score because employers are increasingly demanding to see these results alongside a resume. There are many textbooks that will help you get through the exam and here is the best place to find a wide selection that can give you all the hints and tips you need to ensure you get a great result first time, without the need for costly retakes. If you are a parent, it is a great idea to buy your children several books and to spend time in the evenings working through the test papers with them as this will have them prepared for when they sit the exam. Remember, a time investment now could possibly be worth thousands of dollars in salary over the years, so ensure that you impress the importance of this exam on your kids.

It is a State Requirement

In some states, you have no choice but to take the SAT because it is an educational requirement. Whether you like it or not you are going to have to sit it, but its importance should not be overlooked because as a student you will be gaining an automatic advantage over all those other students who are not taking the test, so look at it as an opportunity to get a rung up the career ladder ahead of many of your peers, and the possibility of getting into a better college or university. In this dog eat dog world you should be taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way so don’t miss out on this one by wasting your teenage years.

It Gives You a Great Educational Grounding

One of the often-overlooked advantages of the SAT is the fact that it is an all-round exam, it does not just cover one particular subject. The exam will cover spelling, reading, and grammar as well as mathematics, although there is no science involved. What it is aiming to do is prepare you for the necessities of life by ensuring that your English is of an appropriate standard and that you can use maths to your advantage. These are both building blocks for many other subjects which is why colleges and universities are looking for high scores because this will show them that you have the ability to study a different subject in further depth. So, if you are looking for a great educational grounding, make sure you study hard and achieve as high a grade as possible in your SAT exam.

You Can Identify Weaknesses

Because the SAT covers many different subjects and it breaks down your grade per subject, it is very easy to identify your strengths and weaknesses. This means that you can tailor your study to your weaknesses, allowing you to improve your overall score since you are able to sit the exam as many times as you like. Once you arrive at college you will feel much more confident that you are on a level playing field with your peers because you will know that everyone has sat the exam and achieved similar grades, allowing you to be filled with positivity from the outset. So, in terms of understanding where you are compared to the rest of the nation, the SAT is incredibly important.

As we have learned that SAT is fundamentally important if you want to give yourself the best chance possible of succeeding in your professional life. Many colleges require a good SAT score to even be considered for a place, and if you are looking for a scholarship it is an absolute necessity. Indeed, some employers now require this score, so if you want to give yourself or your children a leg up in life, they should take the SAT without fail.