[Editorial] College Entrance Guidance That Locates Students` Special Ability and Aptitude

Although the result of the 2002 College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) was announced, high schools are confused as to how to guide students due to differences from the last year. It is said that teachers, parents, and students are having hard time to discern as to which school to apply not only because the average score plunged but also because the total score ranking has not been announced yet.

However, this is not a situation in which one need to be panic. Teachers should find a new way to guide students by adjusting to a different system rather than blaming the educational government.

From the beginning, the government decided not to open the total score ranking to the public. Instead, the government decided to divide the total score into 9 ranks, and to announce scores and ranks in five areas. The educational government has made clear this principle many times since it announced the new CSAT system in 1998, which was to be enforced in 2002.

Everybody agrees that it is not desirable that college is decided depending on the total score ranking. This system encourages the ranks among schools, and enforces students to line up to enter the college.

The new CSAT was designed to locate students` aptitude and special ability through the scores by area. For example, if a student received a good score in language, even though he or she received a lower total score, he or she can go to the language related department. If a student received a high score in science field, he or she can go to the science related department.

Of course, from the position of students and teachers, the new system may look difficult and complicated since there are new aspects. Repeated confusion in the education policy, which even cannot control the CSAT`s degree of difficulty, might have encouraged mistrust in the CSAT system.

Teachers should give a comprehensive guidance for college entrance to students taking into account students` talent, special ability, and the school grade, along with the consideration that in which area each student received a good score. If teachers advise students to go to a particular college simply based on the total score ranking, this is not college entrance guidance.

Moreover, many colleges place more weight on area score, and utilize various sources such as interview, written essay, as well as the CSAT score, during the assessment on the college entrance. The CSAT score and the total score are not the most important thing.

Colleges that evaluate students based on the CSAT total score should place more weight on area score following the purpose of the new system. The introduction of a new system always accompanies growing pain. Teachers and parents should do their best to make full use of students` special ability and aptitude.