Standardized tests. We stress out about them. We take them multiple times in hopes of raising our scores. We buy prep books and attend tutoring sessions.

Why?

Because like it or not, they are important.  As one of the biggest factors in the college admissions process, these tests can help determine what schools you get into and how many scholarships you are eligible for. With so much dependent on one number, it’s no wonder students feel the pressure to do well on the SAT or ACT.

Both the ACT and SAT rely on something called benchmark scores – the score required for students to have a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher, or a 75 percent chance of a C or higher, their first year of college. In the SAT, this means earning a combined score (consisting of critical reading, math and writing) of 1550. For the ACT, the benchmarks are divided by subject. In English, it is 18, in math and reading it is 22, and in science it is 23.

However, the College Board noted in a 2012 SAT Report on College and Career Readiness that those who score below the benchmark can still succeed in college. In fact, one of the strongest indicators of college success is taking a rigorous high-school curriculum.

Another reason standardized tests may not be the best indicator of college success is because they only measure verbal, logical and mathematical intelligences. According to psychologist Robert J. Sternberg’s theory of intelligence, these fall into the category of analytical intelligence. However, such tests fail to measure creative and practical intelligence, which are important in generating ideas and surviving in the “real world.”

Standardized testing might be an imperfect system, but until someone comes up with a better idea, colleges will continue to factor them into admissions decisions. Because of this, such tests do have real-world consequences, affecting where you can or cannot go to college.

Students should take them seriously, but they shouldn’t feel like they are everything because factors such as your GPA and the classes you took in high school are also important. Don’t dismiss standardized tests, but keep in mind that they alone will not define your future.