THS Students Start Taking SAT Exams

Laura Yamada

The SAT, or the Scholastic Aptitude Test, is an entrance exam used by most colleges that serves as one of the factors in college admission(PrincetonReview.com).  It is used as a universal criterion for all applicants of a college or university.

For those who think they may not have the money to pay the exam registration fee, there are fee waivers that are available to students from low income families.  Fee waivers can be filled out in the College Board website (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/fees/fee-waivers). SAT registration costs $43 and with the essay portion it costs $54.50.  Additional fees are added on if students need to purchase a score report, register late or over the phone, or to change your test center, test date, or test type.

All students also have various methods to study for the SAT that are available to them that have little or no cost.  “The best prep you can do for the SAT,” according to Tracy High school counselor Sharie Carey, “is to take the PSAT, which also has fee waivers that are available.”  Other things are available to students to help prepare for the exam.

On the College Board website and on Khan Academy, there are different programs that you can use to study as much as you feel you need to, whether it is for the SAT or the ACT.  Natasha Chahal, a Tracy High senior who took the SAT last year said, “The Khan Academy prep helped me in my time management in test-taking, which is really useful due to the time limits during the exam.”

Mrs. Carey also mentioned you can sign up for the prep classes for the SAT in the College and Career Readiness Center in room A112.  Study guides for the SAT can be purchased when you register and putting a study group together with a few friends is also a great idea.

Taking the SAT more than once is a good way to prepare as well.  Mrs.Carey said, “Often first time test-takers focus more on the process of the test rather than the test itself, so the second time around they are more relaxed because they know how everything works and then they can focus more on the content of the test.”

For first time test-takers not familiar with the new version of the SAT,

do not be alarmed if your score is lower than what you thought it would be.  The newer version of the SAT is scored differently than before; instead of it being out of 2400, the newer test is out of 1600.  According to Mrs. Carey, students actually like the newer test more than the old one because the content is more familiar to them.

Students can register for the SAT now at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register.