Dear Editor,

   Every high school student looks forward to the days of roaming a campus, joining clubs and activities, and feeling a sense of freedom  while being away at college. College is on the brain of every high school student their senior year, or maybe even before. Many students dream of attending college, and many parents dream of their children attending college. College is a crucial time in a person’s life because the lessons they are learning benefit what they intend to do in the future. If everyone was looked at by their ACT score, then some really intelligent people might be overlooked.

    A test score of a person when they were 16, 17, or 18 will not matter when that person goes to apply for a job later on in life. So, if a test score is not the indicator of whether or not a person can do a job, then a test score should not be what stands between a student and a college education. Everyone deserves a chance, especially the ones who have put time and effort into their work.  Many colleges see the trend of test scores as not being a good indicator of what a student has to offer, so they are moving towards being test-optional, which means having the option to submit test scores or something in its place. The test-optional outlook seems like a valid alternative and is something more and more colleges should start considering.

    Every person is unique and has something to offer, and the colleges that realize that will have more success. Not everyone is a good test taker; therefore, not everyone should be defined by just a score they receive on a test. Everyone has so much to offer in life, so no test score can truly measure what a person has to offer and whether or not they will succeed.

Sincerely,

Jenna Mink