For the past month I have been college touring looking for a school that fits me both socially and academically. There have been many cases where I have fallen in love with the college but did not have the high test scores it requires. I wondered, “Is it fair for a college to flat out deny me because of a score that doesn't correctly portray me as a student?”

I am known to be a smart student and make good grades in school. I can make straight A's on tests yet cannot seem to get my act (or should I say ACT) together for five hours because of anxiety. “I’m just not a good test taker,” is no longer a valid excuse to colleges because the majority of students use it. But it seems to be the case with the loads of pressure these tests impose.

I personally believe that it’s unfair that a four-to-five-hour test has almost, if not completely, the same amount of power as four years of high school! It’s crazy to think that I’ve worked so hard to have a number ruin the chances of getting into the school of my dreams. This number not only can get me flat out denied, but it takes away from who I am as a person and what I bring to the table. My SAT/ACT score doesn't show that I go to helps classes, participate in class debates, am part of performing arts, or spend extra hours in the gym training.

I know there are those people who can walk into standardized testing and score in the top percentile or even get a perfect score, but that’s just not the case for everyone. Some may argue that they didn’t do well the first time but have studied hard and eventually got the score they needed. That’s great! But for many people, including myself, who study and go to prep classes, yet can’t seem to get their score into their desired range. I might pass out just thinking about it.

This is not supposed to be a rant about how testing stinks. Testing can prove to be valuable in seeing where you are in core subjects, but the level of power it holds just sabotages its victims who don’t do well under pressure. Kudos to the schools that don’t require test scores, because it makes me feel special and that I’m not just another number in a stack of applications. Colleges should look at the applicant. A score shouldn’t define you.