SAT Score Cut-Offs: SAT as an Indicator, National Curriculum?

In response to: Colleges Acknowledge SAT and ACT Score Cut-Offs in Admission

It is important to note that some fields of study use the SAT as a measure of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. Engineering schools want high Math scores (to follow along with profs who write a dozen equations on the board); likewise, journalism schools want high verbal scores.
Because grades are subjective, the SAT is a broader indicator. Due to the absence of a national curriculum, we can think of the SAT as a unifier for a reasonable body of knowledge for high schoolers.
Studying for the SAT (or any test) can promote brain fitness at any age
http://mathconfidence.blogspot.com/2009/03/sat-as-predictor-indicator-brain.html