Discus Awards

Maria Pascucci is a national student leadership speaker, author and the CEO of Campus Calm™. If you’re tired of stressing over school, you can join the club … literally! Unite with students around the world at www.campuscalm.com and receive your free Student Leader Success & Happiness Kit. Learn more about Maria on her About the Author page.

It's that time of year when college-bound high school students start preparing to take that much-anticipated, and sometimes feared, SAT I. Maybe your parents hired you a tutor or perhaps you're enrolled in an SAT prep course. Or maybe your family can't afford test prep help so you're studying solo. You're probably aiming for a good score so you can get accepted into the college of your choice; some of you Ivy League hopefuls may be shooting for a near-perfect score to beat out the stiff competition. That one test can equal a whole lot of pressure. Before you work yourself up into a full-fledged anxiety attack at the mere mention of the word "SAT" or “ACT”, consider this:

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest) lists over 830 four-year colleges in the United States that do not use the SAT I or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor degree applicants. That's right, over 830 colleges! Many of these schools are fantastic schools, colleges where you can earn a great education. Click here for more information. Look no further than the Discus Awards to see how society is beginning to shift the focus from grades and test scores to the whole you.

My intern Alex Jordan, a senior at Kellenberg Memorial High School in Long Island, New York, has been busy visiting colleges and preparing his college résumé. Alex says that he is currently applying to the colleges he feels are the best fit for him, not necessarily the ones that look the best on paper. He has a message that he’d like to share with you that he has learned throughout his high school experience:

Feel good about your accomplishments, and realize that no grade, no college acceptance, no award or perfect résumé is ever going to truly make you happy. That’s something from the inside. So many colleges have shown me that they care more about a student’s sense of curiosity and interest in the material and a want to learn, rather than, “Does he have a 4.0 or a 3.9, or a 3.2, and a certain SAT score, whatever it may be, to get into this school.” I’ve also learned that all the things you’re doing in high school should be to explore your interests. Explore what you’re passionate about because those are the things you will focus on in college.

The belief that you'll never get into a good college or that you will never be successful in life if you don't ace the SAT is a total myth. I'll give you a personal example: My SAT scores were average, as I never scored well on standardized tests. Yet, I still went to an excellent college on an academic scholarship and graduated at the top of my class. I currently enjoy a rewarding career as an author, speaker and young entrepreneur.

My husband Shaun never even took the SAT or ACT. He went to a two-year college for graphic design that didn't require either for acceptance. After he received his Associates degree, he transferred to a four-year college and earned his Bachelors degree with honors. Today, he's a successful graphic designer and photographer. Shaun is currently one class away from earning his Masters degree in Communication and Leadership. We are not the exceptions to the rule.

I'm certainly not telling you to waltz into the SAT or ACT exam room with a blasé attitude, but keep things in perspective. Whether you ace the SATs, bomb them big-time, retake them three times, or decide never to take them at all, you can be successful in life.

Remember: No single test score or semester grade can define you or validate your potential for success. You validate you. You choose to believe that you're talented, beautiful, creative and intelligent and then you go out there and make things happen!

When you let go of the myths that tell you that you have to be perfect in order to be successful, you actually end up performing better academically and in work situations because you’re not stressed out all the time! Letting go of perfection frees you.

The next time you find yourself stressing over whether or not you measure up, say the following statement out loud as many times as it takes you to believe it: “While I should always try my best, I am more than the measure of my GPA, PSAT, SAT or ACT scores.”

Questions:
• What SAT score or ACT score do you consider "good enough?"
• Do you plan to retake the SAT or ACT if you don't get the score you hoped for?
• What do you think makes a person successful in life?
• Any stories or personal experiences on this subject that you'd like to share? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

Filed under: Maria Pascucci • Campus Calm • College Prep • Outside the Classroom • College Admissions