Note: The online spacing of the letter below does not adhere to MLA 8 guidelines. The essay originally did adhere to MLA 8 formatting.
Thalia Infante
311 Bouton Hall
SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, NY 12561
Infante@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
November 14, 2019
Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson
State University Plaza
353 Broadway
Albany, NY 12246-0001
Dear Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson,
I am a first-year student at SUNY New Paltz. Unfortunately, we have never met, but after conducting some research, I discovered that you have done many great things for the SUNY system. In particular, you established the Promoting Recruitment, Opportunity, Diversity, Inclusion and Growth program, which will result in “hiring up to 1,000 early to midcareer professionals from underrepresented groups over the next decade” (Clukey). I think that is a wonderful idea.
Because you are so focused on improving the SUNY system, I would like to share with you some observations about the current college application process at SUNY and propose a change to this process. As a student who just went through this experience, I encountered a major obstacle that has a big impact on many high school students every year. The problem that I wish you to address has to do with standardized tests, particularly the SAT and ACT.
As you know, most high school students take the SAT in their junior and senior years. Some of these students spend years preparing while others either don’t have the opportunity to receive the same test-prep help or decide to focus, instead, on extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, based on my experience, SUNY schools seem to pay more attention to students’ SAT scores than on the experiences students have had in high school. As a result, every year many otherwise successful students are not accepted into their dream colleges just because they don’t have high SAT scores. These students wonder, “But what about all the extracurricular activities that I was a part of? What about all the community service I did? All the jobs I held and internships I completed? All the AP classes and College Now classes that I took?” Many of these students start asking themselves whether they are good enough for college, the same way I did. In addition, after seeing how few SUNY colleges accept them, some even begin to question whether they really want to go to college at all. Because good students should not be made to feel so discouraged, and in an effort to make SUNY more accessible, I urge you to make submitting SAT scores optional across all SUNY schools.
As you may know, only two four-year SUNY schools do not require the SAT: Purchase College and Potsdam State University College. However, the state of New York has thirty-two SUNY schools that require the SAT (“Standardized Test Requirements”). That means that the majority of students are forced to submit their scores.
Unfortunately, a lot of students don’t have an equal opportunity to prepare for the SAT or ACT. Many students can afford to pay tutors, and as we have seen recently in the news, some even cheat by paying experts to take the exams for them. The reality is that a lot of parents are obsessed with sending their children to prestigious colleges. The Washington Post found that “Hollywood actresses, CEOs and others . . . commit fraud or pay bribes to get their kids into elite schools… [and also hire] ringers or ‘tutors’ to increase their children’s scores” (Wai). Although most people do not go to this extreme, students who are at higher socioeconomic levels clearly have a better chance of receiving high SAT scores than less advantaged students. Not all students have the money to pay for a tutor, for example. Poorer students must study on their own, often with little support.
Critics argue that these exams make the path to college difficult for low-income African Americans and other students of color. The SAT was first used in 1926 during a time when African Americans were still fighting for their rights (“The History of the SAT”). Today some think that standardized testing maintains systemic racism because white students are more likely than students from other racial groups to go to high-quality schools (Jaschik). Therefore, low income students of color often do not come to the exams academically prepared for them. In fact, a study has shown that “students from families earning more than $200,000 a year average a combined score of 1,714, while students from families earning under $20,000 a year average a combined score of 1,326” (Jaschik).
Another reason to eliminate the SAT and ACT requirement is because teachers and students know that the SAT doesn’t show what students are capable of. I interviewed a teacher from my high school, and I asked her if colleges should make the SAT optional. Mrs. Gomez’s answer was, “The SAT is just a test to show who prepared the most [for the test] because that’s what the results show . . . they should make it optional, but then that would take money away from the College Board and that would upset people in charge.” This quote shows that even teachers are aware that the SAT does not depict what students can do. Mrs. Gomez’s remark also reveals that the teachers are cynical about the exam’s purpose.
I also interviewed some of my classmates, and I asked them the same question as my teacher. My friend Jesus answered, “The SAT is just a piece of paper, where you can get a number. What you are capable of and the skills that you have never will show on a piece of paper.” My other friend Claudine said, “There are students who do not work well under pressure and during the SAT, time is putting us under pressure.” Most of the students and teachers have the same opinion about the SAT. To them, the SAT doesn’t show the skill of the students and these exams are just big business.
Some people may ask, “What about those students with high SAT scores who didn’t participate in any extracurricular activities or do well in terms of their classwork?” This is why I want to make the SAT optional. This way, those students who didn’t do well in school will be able to send in their scores. I agree that in those cases the test scores may demonstrate a student’s hidden potential and might, therefore, be useful.
Perhaps, the SAT was a good option to prove a student’s skills ninty-three years ago, but not anymore. Successful high school students in the 21st century must have multiple abilities that extend beyond taking standardized exams. This is why I hope that you will take my proposal under consideration. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and I would be happy to discuss this topic in more detail, either in person or through email.
Sincerely,
Thalia Infante
Works Cited
Clukey, Keshia. “SUNY Chancellor Talks Diversifying Staff, Students Having More Access.” Newsday, 31 Jan. 2019, https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/suny-chancellor-johnson 1.26605988.
“The History of the SAT.” Manhattan Review, 20 Aug. 2019, www.manhattanreview.com/sat- history/#:~:targetText=After%20his%20appointment%20to%20a,on%20the%20%22College%20Boards.%22.
Jaschik, Scott. “New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT.” College Admissions, edited by Dedria Bryfonski, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010919230/OVIC?u=newpaltz&sid=OVIC&xid=8e468b5c. Accessed 27 Oct. 2019. Originally published in Inside Higher Ed, 21 June 2010.
“Standardized Test Requirements.” SUNY, https://www.suny.edu/counselor/standardized-tests/.
Wai, Jonathan, et al., “No One Likes the SAT. It’s Still the Fairest Thing about Admissions.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 22 Mar. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/no-one-likes-the-sat-its-still-the-fairest-thing-about-admissions/2019/03/22/5fa67a16-4c00-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html.
