College Admissions Testing - a Brief History of the SAT

An executive in the title industry, Michael Moshan oversees Haven Tusk Title, LLC, as company president. Michael Moshan also was co-producer and co-songwriter for Rock the SAT, an SAT study guide that is available in two volumes. The musical guide helps students memorize SAT vocabulary using original rock music. 

Since it was first administered to college applicants in 1926, the SAT has been known by various names, including the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, and the SAT Reasoning Test. The exam was developed by Carl Brigham, a Princeton professor who previously worked on IQ testing experiments in the U.S. military.

The SAT gained significant ground as a college admissions test in the early 1930s, when Harvard University began using it to test scholarship candidates. Henry Chauncey, an assistant dean at Harvard, later convinced other schools to use the test, and by 1940 over 10,000 students were taking it each year. By the early 1960s, the number of students taking the SAT worldwide had grown to more than 800,000. 

Although the SAT has evolved over the years, the modern test covers many of the same basic concepts that were included in the original version. Recent revisions to the SAT have focused on improving questions and making the test more competitive with the ACT, a similar admissions exam which was first administered in 1959.

The Positive Effect of Music on Memory

As president of Haven Tusk Title, Michael Moshan assists clients with title-related services in purchasing homes, and manages the company's marketing strategies and business relationships. In addition to his role with Haven Tusk Title, Michael Moshan serves as co-executive producer of Rock the SAT, which produces original music to help potential college students study for the SAT. 

Rock the SAT includes crucial test SAT vocabulary directly into the lyrics of its songs, making it easy to remember what these words mean. Studies and research projects have furthered the notion that music itself can help improve one's memory. Using Mozart’s work as an example, the Center for New Discoveries in Learning concluded that learning potential can be increased significantly by listening to music with 60 beats per minute. Bulgarian psychologist Dr. George Lozanov is a major proponent of that notion and uses classical music from the Baroque period to teach foreign languages. For the most part, his students have become fluent in 30 days. 

While there is no certainty that listening to classical music will improve test scores, there is a consensus among scientists that it has a positive impact on both attention and memory. It can improve moods as well as minimize stress as well.