Over two million (2.2M) high school students who took part in the SAT(Scholastic Achievement Test), and this represented a four percent (4%) increase from their 2018 counterparts.
This trend is being witnessed as a record number of universities and colleges have dropped the SAT requirement in entrance exams.
Students sitting for SAT free of charge
Some of the changes witnessed prompted the increase in the number of students undertaking the SAT. For instance, a sizeable number of states were permitting schools to administer the SAT free of charge, and this was during the school day.
Some additional states participated in the 2019 SAT School Day, and this propelled the number of students taking part from seven hundred and eighty thousand (780,000) in 2018 to nearly one (1) million.
The flexibility witnessed in administering the SAT was instrumental in allowing more students to participate.
This factor was incorporated based on the actuality that the American population was observing dramatic changes. It was, therefore, fundamental for these fluctuations to be factored in for prosperity purposes.
The college board’s efforts for SAT’s accessibility
The college board mandated with availing the SAT has been making incredible efforts for it become more accessible. Some of the strategies it has inculcated include counseling, trying out fee waivers, and carrying out free test preparations.
The board’s efforts have not been deterred by rising criticism that the SAT was unjustly advantageous to students from majority white and wealthier school districts based on better resources, such as better college counselors, teachers, and AP courses.
The higher enrollment in the SAT is a positive trend as it will come in handy in tackling the notion that the higher education system is rigged.
On the other hand, the American education system has been facing various contentious issues ranging from tuition-free college and the payment of college athletes. Some leaders have, however, not shied away from them. For instance, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have been proposing for tuition-free colleges.
