As spring approaches, while some 11th graders may be worried about seasonal allergies, others are more anxious about the administration of the SAT, a standardized college administration test. While opinions about its importance are mixed, juniors at BRHS will take the exam on April 22. Sophomores will also take the PSAT, a precursor to the SAT, on that day.
Prep varies from students just paying attention in their day to day classes to studying outside of school or even through Khan Academy, a platform that Michelle Brummer, the college and career teacher, utilizes to assign them coursework.
The school’s college counselor, Aye Bah, likes Khan Academy. “It’s great because students don’t have to pay for it,” she said.
She considers Khan Academy a great platform because everybody can use it free of charge, unlike other prep programs or classes where families may have to pay hundreds-to-thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Junior Jonathan Torres explains how he prepared for the PSAT. “They help us in class and I study after school,’’ he said. He also advises to “try your best and trust your gut.”
Jonathan thinks the SAT is important because it helps decide your future.
Although some colleges require testing scores, or are test-flexible, many colleges are now test-optional, meaning that you can choose not to add your SAT score onto your college application and will not be penalized for it.
Annkiara Bourdeau, a senior, appreciates the flexibility. The SAT should be optional because the score doesn’t define the person, she said.
One of the main reasons for this is that SAT preparation can be quite expensive, so students from mid-to-high income households have an advantage over students that don’t have certain beneficial resources available.
A Harvard study has actually shown that students that come from wealthier families are 13 times more likely to score 1300+ on the SAT than students coming from low-income families.
“Schools realized that families have to be quite wealthy to pay for SAT prep classes,’’ Ms. Bah said, so some schools exempted the SAT exam.
A college ready SAT score is 1100+. Students who are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, and test an 1100 or higher on the SAT, are promised admittance into a selective SUNY school.
