Preparing for SATs

      According to the College Board, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) should be taken the first time in the spring of a student’s junior year and “again in the Fall before college application deadlines.” 

     Junior Sierra Wendland is an expert on the SAT, having taken the standardized test twice and anticipates doing the same for the ACT. She states that it was “like any normal standardized test,” however, “during some of the longer sections, she would “zone out because [she] was so bored and then [felt] stressed to make up [for] lost time.” 

    Another student with experience on the test, junior Sam Chan, says the test is “kind of what you would expect from just hearing about it[.] A long and tedious exam that tests you on the standard subjects that colleges want from you.” 

    When it comes to the subjects on the test, Wendland admits that “the reading section is difficult because [you must] maintain concentration the entire duration [of the test].” While this part was troublesome, she admits the hardest part of the test was the no-calculator portion.  

    In agreement with the junior, Chan believes that the “Evidence-based Reading and Writing section was the hardest for [him], as [he] is more of a math person than an English person.” He advises those that are taking high level math the same year that they take the SAT are not necessarily at an advantage because “a lot of the math content is based on Algebra.” 

    Seeing as some colleges require SAT scores, the juniors have begun preparing for college in more ways than taking the test. For example, Wendland admits that she has “already visited [eight] colleges this past summer and [plans] to visit at least [four] more.” In addition to this, she has started signing up for scholarships and volunteer programs, which have “helped [her] get [her] name out and show colleges that [she] is interested.” 

    By spreading her name around to different schools, Wendland can narrow down what she is looking for in a college. Taking the SAT will enable the student to “compare it with [school’s] requirements so [she knows] which ones [she] can be accepted to or even receive scholarships from.” 

    In determining whether one should take the test or not, Chan suggests they weigh the pros and cons. One of these pros being that the test is “taken to show that you can excel in what is expected in that field.” However, the test “does not predict the potential one has in the future.” 

    Wendland, despite wanting to pass her score on to colleges, admits that she studied very little for the test. The junior believed that her classes would “compensate for [her] lack of studying.” On the other hand, Chan found himself reviewing “pretty hard” for it, particularly the English portion, which made him feel more ready.  

    Seeing as the studying is an independent task, he continues, the methods for reviewing taught in school don’t “really assist us in getting a better score.” Chan states that personal preparation is “pretty much on you to determine how much you want to study to get you ready.” 

    The importance of taking time before the test date to review stems from, Wendland says, high school not qualifying students on the topics found in the SAT. She explains that these subjects were taught to her in seventh and ninth grade, so she was forced to review heavily to familiarize herself. The junior says that “there definitely could be more done to help students prepare for the SAT, such as offering a prep class.”