What College Entrance Exam Scores Don't Tell Us

It was one of the biggest letdowns I had experienced at that time in my life. As I awaited letters of acceptance from various colleges that I had applied to, there was one that I hoped for more than any other. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was my top choice, and although I was open to other possibilities, I wanted to be at that school most of all.

The letter of acceptance finally came, but with conditions. My college entrance exam composite score was less than stellar, and I was deemed not quite ready for regular college classes. The letter stated that I would have to take developmental (better known as remedial) classes before I could advance to the big league.

Having always worked hard and excelled in school, this news was a blow to my self-esteem. Suddenly I began to question my level of ability, the quality of my previous education and my chances for success in the future. I was too ashamed to tell any of my friends what had happened, because I felt like a failure.

My parents made all the difference in the world during that time. My mother pointed out that something as inconclusive as a number on a piece of paper was not an indicator of my worth or my destiny. She, along with my father, encouraged me to look into some of the other schools that had accepted me so that time and money would not be wasted taking classes I did not need. Though greatly disappointed, I settled on a medium-sized university, where I majored in journalism, wrote weekly articles and editorials for my college newspaper and graduated with honors.

A year-and-a-half or so out of college, I received another letter of acceptance from the University of Illinois. Ready to try again, I had aimed even higher this time by applying to graduate school there. I was admitted without a glitch. I also received a graduate assistantship that came with a tuition waiver and free room and board. Soon thereafter, I would earn a fellowship, renewable for several years. And I went on to earn both my Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the same institution that had labeled me a high-risk student several years prior.

I never gave much thought about the manner in which this sequence of events played out until I was sitting across from a college student who had come to see me for academic counseling. A higher education professional who was working at a two-year transfer institution at the time, I took delight in helping students gain the motivation and skills needed to succeed and move on to the next level of their education. But when this particular student, who was discouraged over having placed into developmental courses, frowned at me and said, "You don't understand; you have a Ph.D. and I'll bet you've never been in my situation," I proceeded to tell my story.

There is an over-reliance in our education system on test scores and what they "indicate" about a student's ability to succeed. We are quick to label students as highly intelligent based on how they perform on the SAT or their college placement exams, and deem students who may not test well in certain areas as sub par and in need of remediation. Had I taken the developmental courses that were prescribed for me at the start of my college career, I would have more than likely become bored, frustrated and perhaps completely uninterested in finishing school. But I had people in my corner that constantly reminded me that my ability to succeed was far greater than any number could ever predict.

I wouldn't necessarily say that college entrance exams and other means of assessment shouldn't be used at all. And I know that developmental courses are designed to help, not hinder students and can in many instances be beneficial. However, I think we do our students and our society as a whole a disservice when we are quick to draw conclusions about a student's level of ability solely on the basis of these scores. Such scores are only a piece of the puzzle. There is a much larger picture to behold and my story is a prime example of this fact.

College entrance exam scores alone do not tell us about a student's level of drive, their work ethic or their ability to soar above the odds. They don't tell us what a difference having someone in your corner who believes in you and urges you to press on despite society's attempts to label you can make. In reality, there is a much finer line between those of us who succeed in our country's education system and those who fail than many people who develop and enforce policy would like for us to believe. And it is a fact that when students are set up for success instead of failure, they are more likely to achieve it.