[Student Reporters] Elimination of SAT Subject Tests

Robin Oh/9th, Palos Verdes Peninsula Hig

As the race to be admitted to the best schools in America runs on students share many mixed feeling as they learn that the SAT subject tests will no more be required to apply to the U.C.'s.

"Subject tests? What is a subject test? I'm a freshman why do I have to know what it is now?" commented an anonymous freshman at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. Many people seemed to second his notion that they don't really care if there was an SAT subject test or not; they believed it was something to worry about in the future.

But there are people on the other end who think that this would not affect them too much. Rachel Eun another freshman at Peninsula High told me that her "dream school was higher than the UC's altogether and that she would rather take the subject tests and apply to a school like Harvard or Yale. In fact many other students agree that taking the Subject Tests would boost their chances with the UC's and higher education. A sophomore Sarhal Jalan at Peninsula said "I really don't care. Good universities want to see that you have the best scores of all the students who apply and they won't stop to reject anyone who didn't even try to take it (The Subject Tests). So even though these tests are not really required we will take them anyways whether you are a freshman an 8th grader and so on."

There are also feelings of resentment from Sophomores Juniors and Seniors who are still required to take the tests. Many Sophomores believe this will change the way people actually think about the UC schools. "It feels like from the graduating class of 2012 onward people will not care about how smart you are." Kimberly Hong a sophomore said. She feels uncomfortable that she is the last of the "required two subject tests" group but is relieved that she will not be lumped together with the "stupid group" a recently emerging assumption.

But all this comes down to the main point: Do the UC schools matter anymore? Sure a UCLA vs. USC football death match is always fun to watch but does it really compare to schools with higher standards such as the IVY League Schools and other prestigious universities all around America? This change in requirement is only for the UC schools and the problem is that many students consider these universities to be the "backup plan" to the colleges and universities of their dreams.

They consider these to be an alternative to Yale Princeton and so many of the colleges in America that are considered to be the top elite institutions of the world. If the UC schools don't require it but recommend it then we might consider taking it anyways because it will improve our chances with the elite schools as well as with the UC schools.

So it comes down to the point that even though the UC regents do not require the subject tests we have to face the fact that many will still take the tests. The question remains whether this would impact students positively or negatively so the verdict is still out.