It seems that in this new century, students are more often told that tests like the ACT have the power to define their futures. Can a simple test score, a single number on a scale, determine the course of a person's life? According to the ACT organization, as well as teachers and administrators across the country, this test is the only way to determine how smart or tough a college-bound teen is. It is used to predict “college readiness.” But how can we be sure of our college readiness before we arrive? We cannot assume we like or dislike a food until it responds to our taste buds. Likewise, there is no precise way to determine how we will perform in an institution of higher education, on our own, in the “real world.” "until we set foot on unfamiliar ground. We can certainly be guided by advisors and other mentors who know us personally; they can evaluate our credentials and more accurately predict how we will manage in an academic environment based on Character attributes such as discipline, work ethic, and social qualities should be given less emphasis on standardized tests such as the ACT because they are not the most accurate measure of intelligence. 'a person and in no way allow us to judge their character. How to prove their own character? By their actions of course, actions speak louder than words. These actions are the best judge of one's character. Someone who is socially active, who constantly surrounds himself with other individuals of different character, is almost always someone who can contribute a lot to a community. They can provide a set of new and respectable ideas; they can share their talents with their peers and can determine what kind of impact they will have on their campus. If more universities practiced this type of admissions process, they would provide a fairer and more accurate assessment of students' qualifications, a mutually beneficial outcome for all parties. Colleges would be able to place more trust in the decisions made by admitted students; and new freshmen, knowing that they are accepted based on the merit of their character, would be more proud to hear the words "congratulations, you have been accepted." Works Cited Martinez, Niko. Personal interview. February 9, 2011Rosser, Phyllis. “Standardized Testing.” The Reader's Companion to American Women's History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1998. Academic OneFile. Internet. February 9, 2011. “Nebraska DHHS: Importance of the Job Interview.” » Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Internet. February 10. 2011.