I’ve always been the student who runs out of time on assessments and, for a while, I thought that meant I wasn’t as smart as the other students. After years of degrading self talk, I realized that speed was not equivalent to intelligence, even though standardized tests often reward speed with higher scores. I recently came across an article in the New York Times talking about time-tests and how they tend to reward students with more confidence and speed. In his opinion piece, Adam Grant notes: “Although it pays to be quick, it also pays to be determined, disciplined and dependable” (Grant). This idea really resonates with me as I am getting ready to apply to colleges this fall. 

Although most of the schools I will apply to are test-optional or do not require me to submit scores, I have still taken the SAT and ACT multiple times. Each time, I have run out of time on at least one of the sections. It just felt like there was not enough time to finish even though I was working as fast as I could. When my scores came back, I felt like they didn’t represent me as a student because my strengths tend to be my attention to detail, perseverance, and thinking deeply about more complex topics. I felt like the tests did not give me the opportunity to demonstrate these strengths in the same way that the grades I earn throughout a school year give more of a comprehensive view of me as a student. No matter if I decide to submit my scores or not, I’m happy lots of colleges are recognizing that standardized test scores may not be the best measure of a students ability to succeed at their institution.