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Health & Fitness

Questioning the Value of College Entrance Exams-Should We?

I have a confession.  Prior to having my own four children prepare for college entrance exams, witnessing the high level of anxiety and turmoil students faced gearing up for these tests was palpable in my role as a school counselor. I secretively dreaded the time when I too would be “that” parent, fighting the urge to sign them up for every prep workshop and boot camp in existence.  Might that somehow alleviate the burden we both would have?   As a parent, how do you tell your child “not “to worry about an exam which has morphed into what seems as this cataclysmic obstacle between your child and the college of their dreams?  We are the parents of Millenniums, Gen Y and Gen X’ers .  We are dubbed helicopter and snowplow parents (that is another blog altogether) for a reason…we hate to see our children struggle.  But what if all of that preparation, the dubious distinction of repeat SAT/ACT  test-taking, and sleepless nights was all for naught?  Recent sources have latched on to a new assumption- are college entrance exams truly authentic in their measure of a student’s ability?

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In my classroom teaching days, faculty would grumble about “teaching for testing” which is now laughable considering No Child Left Behind  and Common Core Standards (ah, the new trends in education) and we have equally grumbled about college entrance exams.  That “teaching for testing “ model is put into full swing  when students prep and prep AND prep for what seems years of their life for an entrance exam that may or may not be an adequate source of measure of who they are as a student.  After all, how do we measure success?  Why should so much be riding on a college entrance exam?  What ever happened to looking at the child “holistically?” Of course, parents are told by colleges that a student’s admission to a particular college is based on numerous factors, but if we are being honest, the more selective colleges put an inordinate amount of weight on college entrance exams.  For parents of over achieving, high-flying, wound up beyond measure, competitive high school students…this exam is a major stressor and a measure that in many respects is beyond their control.  While students are harried with AP classes, volunteering, working, playing an instrument, engaging in a sport…they are studying (tirelessly, I might add) for tests that may not showcase their abilities.  Accepting the test (regardless of scores) would be a bold and authentic approach to viewing the student in all of their glory, but it is those benchmarks…those scattergrams, that have turned our beautiful children into competitive and anxiety ridden hopefuls.  They (and we as parents) must not lose sight of what it is we are hoping for.  With over 4,000 colleges that are “good fit” institutions, teaching our children to find balance in their life and to find an avenue to become caring, empathic and engaged individuals in a global world will garner them more success in the long run.  The school must fit who THEY are…not the other way around.  We are trying to fit many square pegs in round holes just to slap a transparent college sticker on our back windshield.  May I mention that there are countless under and unemployed college grads from many top tier and competitive colleges?  Higher education is necessary today, but finding the right college is a process that transcends college entrance exams.  One might also consider test optional colleges that seem to be more committed to that “holistic” approach of bygone years. 

http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional

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The Collegeologist is an independent college consultation practice in the Farmington Valley  area of CT, which simplifies the college process for students and parents. Located at 395 West Avon Road in Avon (Across from All-Star Driver). Tel. 860-673-1500 www.thecollegeologist.com. Call for a complimentary consultation. Office visits, email & Skype are available. Like the Collegeologist on FB and follow us on twitter @thecollegeologist.  

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