Oliver M, Sanjana K & Nishk S
From the earliest days of elementary school, we are instilled with the notion that college is the only path to a successful life. Higher education is one of the most stressful and arguably most important stages in our careers, which is why it is crucial for that process to be as straightforward, cost-efficient, and accessible as possible. Unfortunately, higher education is not as pleasant and attainable as everyone would hope for a variety of reasons. One particular reason for this is Collegeboard, whose name alone causes hundreds of thousands of students to feel anger and dread. Collegeboard presents many problems for every student by making money a major factor when seeking higher education, as well as scaring students into believing they have to get into top-rated schools to find success.
Do or Die
While Collegeboard does cause stress for students as well as unnecessary anger, there is a bigger problem with the way Collegeboard operates. Through the pressure and stress of standardized testing, the notion that you must do well on these tests or else a college will not accept you is the defying problem plaguing students. However, in reality, colleges look at a student’s portfolio past test scores and grades. Therefore, this notion introduces an emphasis on scores instead of learning which then causes undue stress in students, causing a do or die mentality.
Money or Knowledge
Pursuing higher education is a challenging and rewarding process that millions of students strive for. Collegeboard stands directly in the way of each and every single student’s path to success with their greedy practices and blatant indifference towards students’ needs. Collegeboard is notorious for profiting off of students’ stress and vulnerability, as well as essentially monopolizing the College Entrance & AP Examination. Without any competitors, they charge absurd prices for standardized tests that can greatly impact a student’s success in the college application process. Even something as simple as sending SAT scores to colleges is expensive and an unbearably tedious process.
However, while Collegeboard has many exploitative practices, they offer several resources for students to use. It is important to be aware of what to use to make the best of an otherwise bleak situation. Collegeboard has created a system where students with families that are more financially successful have a significantly easier higher education experience. Money should never be a factor when pursuing college, let alone arguably the most crucial one altogether.