几年前，许多美国大学都表示在受理学生入学申请时仅把SAT成绩作为参考，也就是说SAT成绩不是学生必须提供的申请依据。如此为之是因为那时的美国大学普遍认为备考SAT在很大程度上破坏了高中生学习的连贯性, 且学生通过备考所培养的能力有限，仅仅能应付SAT考试。然而，在2005年SAT考试实行新一轮大规模改革以后，针对SAT的种种批评也随之烟消云散。
        事实上，通过近期与几所美国名校的招生办主任沟通，我了解到在今后几年 SAT成绩对申请美国大学的中国学生将会变得越来越重要。据悉，由于大陆一些托福考场的管理相对松懈，中国学生的托福成绩面临很大的信任危机。也就是说，即使中国学生拿到一个很高的托福成绩，许多美国大学仍然对成绩的可信度存在疑虑。尽管这种怀疑是否公平还有待进一步商榷，但至少每一名打算赴美就读大学的中国学生应该清楚有这样一种怀疑的声音存在，因此学生可能需要以更高的托福成绩获得优秀大学的认可。以杜克大学为例，学校原来对学生托福成绩的最低要求是80分左右，但时至今日，除了比较特殊的情况外，所有学生的托福成绩都必须高于100分。

        与托福考试不同，SAT考试在中国大陆不设考场，离大陆最近的考场设在香港,且香港考场素以严格遵守考场管理制度而著称。因此在美国大学的招生官眼中,中国学生的SAT 成绩比托福成绩更具可信度。

        此外，招生办主任们还透露，由于近几年中国学生申请美国大学的人数急剧增加，美国大学的录取标准也将相应地调高。由于中国学生的母语不是英语，美国大学的招生官员们对中国学生的SAT成绩（尤其是阅读和写作两个部分）还保留着相对较宽的尺度。但大家也要清醒地意识到，即使这种宽松的尺度短期内不会立刻消失,但可以肯定地是尺度将会越来越严格。
        随着越来越多的中国学子前往美国大学就读本科，许多美国大学也将更好地满足中国学生的特殊需求，大量的中国留学生也大学的多样性发展作出很大贡献。据我了解，很多中国学生对于SAT的准备就是背背单词，再用几个周末或寒暑假参加一个培训班就草草参加考试了。这种时代已经结束。我建议更多的有志于就读美国名校的学生及早动手准备，付出更多的努力，当然还要更加聪明地学习。

Chinese Applicants need the SAT now more than ever.

Several years ago, a handful of colleges in the United States contemplated making the SAT an optional part of the admissions process. The SAT, they thought, was doing much to damage the ways in which high school students learned – with knowledge only seeming relevant if it could be applied to the test. However, since 2005 and the release of the current version of the SAT reasoning test, much of the criticism has died down. Those hoping that they might be able to avoid taking the famous exam are inevitably in for a disappointment.

In fact, after contacting the Deans of Admissions at several top universities, I learned that for Chinese students, the test is likely to become more and more important in coming years. Thanks to the lax test administration standards at some TOEFL facilities on the mainland, Chinese students face a great deal of skepticism when it comes to their record. That is to say, even with a great TOEFL score, many universities will be nervous that the scores were purchased rather than earned. Whether or not this suspicion is fair is debatable, but every Chinese student planning to have their undergraduate education in the United States should be aware that the assumption exists. Additionally, students are likely to need higher TOEFL scores than top universities will admit to. Duke University, for example, claims that its students receive in the mid-80"s on their TOEFL tests, but the Dean of Admissions claimed that all but the most exceptional students must score about a 100.

Unlike the TOEFL, the SAT is only offered in Hong Kong and its proctors adhere to much stricter standards. Though the SAT is undeniably more difficult, scores on the reasoning test are not viewed as potentially tainted.

Moreover, admissions directors explain that the numbers of Chinese applicants to US universities has been skyrocketing in recent years. This means that the standards for admission are likely to become more competitive as well. To this point, Chinese students have been excused a lot of their mistakes on the Writing and Critical Reading section since English is not their native language. This allowance will not vanish in the next few years, but the size of the allowance is sure to diminish.

 
Having more Chinese students heading to the United States for their undergraduate years presents a number of wonderful opportunities for both those students and the universities. Increasingly US schools will be better equipped to meet the unique needs of Chinese students, and larger populations of Chinese students will do much to enrich those universities. However, the days of simply memorizing words from a text book and taking a few weekends of SAT preparation are over. Chinese students will need to start emulating their American peers in terms of SAT preparation. That means starting younger, studying longer, and studying smarter. For those that can master it, the SAT remains the surest key to America"s most prestigious institutions of higher learning.