For many college-bound teens, taking the SAT is an incredibly anxious time. Much of a student’s future can depend on how he or she performs on the test—from what school to attend to how much scholarship money will be awarded and sometimes whether they’ll be able to go to college at all. Many students spend months honing their test-taking and essay skills to prepare. This year, some students exiting the SAT began to wish they had watched a little more TV. The SAT asked some of its test-takers recently to discuss reality television—specifically, whether the very phrase is a misnomer: “How authentic can these shows be when producers design challenges for the participants and then editors alter filmed scenes?” the test asked. The question inspired much post-test hand-wringing on various message boards, including 40 pages worth of responses on the site College Confidential. “I ended up talking about (19th century reformer) Jacob Riis and how any form of media cannot capture reality objectively,” said one student tagged “littlepenguin.” “I kinda want to cry right now.” The folks behind the SAT defended the question, saying it was far more about giving students the opportunity to show off their writing skills than ruminating about “Jersey Shore.” “Everything you need to write the essay is in the essay prompt,” said Peter Kauffmann, vice president of communications for the College Board. (New York Times)