My 54 Year Love Affair with the SAT Reading Response

          The reading starts out introducing Stanly Kaplan, and listing some of the things he has accomplished.  It links his name to test preparation, and explains how the article will go into detail about how he got started with the SAT.  Kaplan found himself intrigued by this test after tutoring a high school junior named Elizabeth.  While Kaplan was teaching her algebra, she asked him if he could help her prepare for the SAT.  This leads Kaplan to do research and look over the booklet given to him by Elizabeth.  He reads the sample questions and comes to a conclusion that the questions on this tests required students to apply their knowledge to basic concepts, instead of asking for information that could be memorized.  Kaplan sat down and made up his own questions that would challenge Elizabeth, and would require her think harder.  The article went on to describe the SAT in depth.  It stated when the test was given, and how it was scored.  It also informed the reader that the test was not always used in the admission process to colleges. The more widespread the test got, the more universities that required it.  Kaplan also concluded that the SAT used information that is studied over a significant amount of school years.  The student would not only have to know the information, but know how to apply it.  He believed the SAT provided a level playing field for students.  He then went on to describe the foundation of the College Board.  They believed that no matter how many times the student took the test, their results would remain the same, and it was a predictable outcome of how they would perform in college. Lastly, he described how the College Board developed the Educational Testing Service, the foundation that writes, administers, and scores the SAT. Overall, Kaplan found that his tutoring business greatly flourished as the popularity of the SAT hit an all-time high.

                I believe Kaplan’s argument was against the statement in the SAT booklet that said “cramming and last minute reviewing had no purpose”.  He wondered why the College Board would include that statement, and that is what sparked his interest.  He believed that he could come up with a significant way to study effectively for the SAT.  Kaplan argued this point very well.  He took time to do intense research on the type of questions asked, and what was required to answer them.  He looked through sample questions, and then sat down to write his own.  He used these questions to help prepare students and get their brain into the mindset of applying knowledge.  What I took from this article was that if the statement made by the College Board happened to be true, then why did Kaplan’s tutoring business expand so rapidly when the SAT became the primary test scores looked at when applying to college.  What I would like to know that was not mentioned in this article was how well the students scored on their tests after they went through his tutoring sessions.

`               I agree with what Stanly Kaplan is saying.  I do believe that there is always something you can do to prepare yourself and better your test scores, no matter what type of questions are asked.  I also believe that by doing sample questions, your mind will better be prepared when reading questions on the test, rather than being shocked.  It is always better to go into a test, especially one as significant as the SAT, with an understanding of that is expected.  This reading did a very impressive job of explaining to readers how and why the SAT was created, and the process of how it got to be so important.  I believe it is a good test to take, and will help colleges know what to expect from you as a student.  The questions on this test were honestly some of the most challenging questions I have ever been asked, and I do think it is good to expose students to that before they start college.

                The golden line I chose from this article was that the SAT “could help democratize American education by ushering a larger, more diverse group of students into the world of higher education”. I chose this statement because I think it is really important to not only focus on a student’s background or other circumstances, but to make a single standardized test with unique questions. This gives students the opportunity to apply themselves in a way they never have previously.  Each student starts out equal to each other, and gives them all the same chance at being successful.