Numbers don’t define us.

One of the top things colleges look at on your application are your SAT/ACT test scores.

This can be stressful for many students, as some of them may not be “good” at test taking.

“I’m definitely not a good test taker,” said sophomore Adelyn Yau. “I psych myself out a lot.”

Many students over-think or can’t focus on their tests because of anxiety, things happening at home, or other things that make them nervous, and that can lead to a test score they don’t want.

“I feel like I could possibly be smarter than what my scores say just because of the pressure I’m under while taking the test,” said sophomore Nick Korjeff.

“I can definitely believe that I am smarter then my test scores,” said Yau. “Sometimes you make the smallest mistakes on a test, but that doesn’t define how much you know.”

The controversial question is, what if a student did have some sort of problem while taking a test, and he or she couldn’t focus? They now have a low score just because they’re not good test takers. This leads to students unhappy with their test scores and then they have to put it on their college application.

“I never really feel that tests really show someone’s full potential. I don’t think my test scores accurately show my intelligence level,” said junior Zoe DiMauro. “If I don’t do well on a test, that doesn’t mean I’m stupid, it means I didn’t fully understand that topic.”

“I feel like test scores should play a role, but maybe a smaller role because if you do really well, you’re probably more qualified effort-wise than someone who failed it,” said Yau. “I feel like the emphasis we put on the numbers right now are not an effective way to define us as students.”

A trending video on Facebook right now is from YouTube called, “Why I hate school but love education.” The video is a young man talking about how he doesn’t think test scores should define who you really are.

“I think that our test scores can define our test taking abilities, as they also determine what colleges may accept us, but the scores are just scores,” said Korjeff. “There are a lot more things that people do that define them, and/or help them get into college.”

“Test scores mean everything now. They define how others think of you, how teachers think of you, and one bad grade can change your future when it comes to college,” said DiMauro. “It’s hard because colleges look for spectacular students, and sometimes, spectacular individuals, just don’t have the test scores to back themselves up.”

You could be the smartest student at Carlmont, but have one of the worst test scores. Yet, those scores define who you are when it comes to college. What you can write on paper is not the same thing as what you know up in your head.