Tow #20: Essay: "Big Score: When Mom Takes the SATs" by Elizabeth Kolbert

Goals:
 -read a much lengthier text than I have in the past
-take more notes as I read the text to find more rhetorical devices and then find the common ones
-focus more on purpose of the text rather than getting hung up on the devices
-connect to thesis throughout TOW
-spend more time writing the TOW and make it more like a mini essay
-use good examples to explain how author achieves purpose
-have a better introduction/conclusion

The SATs are supposed to be a test that measures a student's ability to answer math, writing and critical reading questions to determine if they are fit to attend college. However, Elizabeth Kolbert, a Yale university graduate, author of six books, and mother of three, claims that the SAT does not properly assess whether a student is right for college or not. In her most recent essay, "Big Score" which was published in The New Yorker, Kolbert asks thought provoking rhetorical questions and uses multiple experiences of people who have taken the test to show that the SAT is not an accurate way to measure a student's intellect. The rhetorical questions that Kolbert uses in her essay are designed to make the reader think about something that should have an obvious answer but instead makes the reader think about many possible answers. For example, in the beginning of Kolbert's essay, "Big Score", there is a caption under a picture that says "the SATs may determine a student's future, but what do they really measure?" Initially, the reader may think the test simply measures math, critical reading, and writing. Then, the reader should realize that the answer to the question is not that simple if the author is asking it. It allows the audience to be more accepting of Kolbert's answer to her question. Later when Kolbert proves that the SATs are not an accurate way to measure a student's intellect, the audience is more open to agree with the author because the question she asked allowed the reader to question their own thoughts. Along with asking rhetorical questions, Kolbert proves that the SAT is does not measure intellect by using her own experience of taking the SAT as a fifty year-old mother and other people's experiences. According to Kolbert, the SAT only measures the skills needed to pass the test and not much more. In order to prove that, she often references Debbie Stier's experience as a forty-six year-old woman studying for and taking the SAT seven times in order to achieve a perfect score. She did not get close to a perfect score in anything except for the writing section. Kolbert uses her story to show that if an accomplished author that feverishly studies for a test seven times cannot get a perfect score, there is a flaw in the test due to its inaccuracy of evaluating people. Kolbert's setup with her use of rhetorical questions and then her evidence with the use of experiences from people who took the actual test ultimately help her achieve her purpose of showing people that the SAT does not work, which will hopefully change the way future American students begin college.