New 'Reality': 'Snooki' Factor Is Now Part of SAT College Entrance Exams

High school students across the country woke up extra early last Saturday, sharpened their No. 2 pencils and prepared for hours of mental exercises that will help determine their chances at getting into the college of their dreams. With all the nervous build-up and last-minute academic cramming, imagine their surprise when they were asked to answer a test question on "reality television."

“Reality television programs, which feature real people engaged in real activities rather than professional actors performing scripted scenes, are increasingly popular ... How authentic can these shows be when producers design challenges for the participants and then editors alter filmed scenes?

"Do we benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called 'reality,' or are such shows harmful?"

One-third of all students taking the SAT last weekend fielded this essay question.

"Forget flashcards," the LA Times exclaimed.  "Watch reality TV and get into college!"

As the New York Daily News points out, whoever wrote the question assumes that all kids have a television and that all kids are allowed (or care) to watch the genre of programming which made stars out of Kim Kardashian and "Snooki."

"I thought the good students were the ones who did three or four hours of homework a night after participating in sports or other extracurricular activities instead of watching dumb shows like "Celebrity Rehab" or "Jersey Shore," the Daily News' Joanna Molloy wrote.

"I guess the kids who watch crap TV did well," said one honors student at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. "I was completely baffled; I watched 'American Idol' four years ago.

"A lot of what we did in SAT prep classes was to use historical events or literature in our essays. It was so difficult to try to connect something you've learned in school with that topic. Some of my friends don't watch TV at all. They are really, really scared."

Networking sites like Collegeconfidential.com were abuzz with students posting comments like one from "Little Penguin":

"This is one of those moments when I wish I actually watched TV. I kinda want to cry right now."

The essay question of reality television's merits counted toward one-third of the students' overall SAT score.  This test score, along with the student's grade point average (GPA) carries the most weight in most college admissions director's decisions.  The SAT has tested students' aptitude for over a century, but this is believed to be the first time pop culture television has made an appearance.