Q&A on the News
Q: Each time SAT scores are announced and Georgia is near the bottom of the list, one reason given is that more students in Georgia take the SAT than in other states. Why do more students here take this test?
-- Ann Smith, Marietta
A: There a couple of reasons why Georgia has the eighth-highest participation rate (74 percent) in the college entrance exam. The main reason is tied to the college admissions process, Matt Cardoza, spokesman for the state Department of Education, told Q&A on the News. "Georgia is what we consider an SAT state. Most of the colleges and universities look at the SAT as an admissions requirement," he said. The second reason is related to the HOPE scholarship. Students who have the grade-point average to qualify for the HOPE scholarship see the reality of going to college but recognize that taking the SAT is one of the steps toward getting into college and taking advantage of the scholarship, he said. "You have a lot of students that have a GPA that may suggest that, 'I've got a high enough grade-point average to where I could qualify for the HOPE scholarship, but I need to take this test,' " he said. Cardoza added that ACT participation in Georgia also is growing, and one trend is a decrease in the number of students repeating the SAT, if they don't perform well the first time, and taking the ACT instead.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
