Letter of the Week: College stress test

What is next on the agenda?

One step of the college admissions process is submitting an ACT or SAT score. Many universities in Kansas expect an ACT score of 21 or higher for incoming freshmen.

The problem I face is that I am not a great test taker. I have spent about $90 taking the ACT three times but haven’t met the standard score.

Does a test score show a student’s full academic ability? Admissions departments look past test scores and take a student based on grade point average and academic history. What a relief.

Then why did I spend all that time studying and stressing out over the tests when I would have been considered for admissions anyway?

Yes, taking the exams can help students understand some of the test challenges in college. Also, I think the ACT or SAT offers great advantages for some students. I just don’t think they should be necessary for college applications.

What if they were a source for determining scholarships rather than a stress-maker for people who do not make the standard score?

Mina Morales, 18, of Overland Park, is a senior at Shawnee Mission West High School. She plans to go to the University of Kansas or the University of Chicago and major in visual arts with a focus on photography and minor in English literature. Her parents are Jorge and Michelle Morales. She has two sisters, Monique, 17, and Melina, 14, and a 9-year-old brother, Jace.

This story was originally published December 20, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Letter of the Week: College stress test."