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City Studies

Test Ride

Over 2 million students take the SAT every year, but why? How do SAT scores relate to college admissions? What is it like to take the test? Who benefits from the SAT?

In the Spring of 2015, CUP collaborated with teaching artist Max Allbee and curious students from Lyons Commnity School in East Williamsburg to look into standardized testing, focusing on the SAT. They knew from their own test-taking experiences the ups and downs of the SAT, and wanted to know more about the background and future of the test.

The class interviewed author and National Public Radio (NPR) Lead Digital Education Reporter Anya Kamenetz as well as educator and Associate Provost for Enrollment Services at the Teachers College of Columbia University Dr. Thomas P. Rock, to find out why the SAT is the dominant test used for college admissions. They made this foldout poster to break down the SAT and highlight the perspectives they researched.