By: Austin Hanson

     With the new school year upon us, a new group of juniors and seniors are looking ahead at life after high school. Whether that’s college or the work force, many questions and tasks regarding their future loom over them. One of those being the SATs, or the Scholastic Assessment Test. The Squire is here to help you determine if taking the SAT is right for you, along with helpful tips and tricks to help boost your score!

Read more: Falling into SAT Prep

     Taking the SAT may seem like a mountainous challenge to some students, especially with the stress and pressure from others to get the best score possible. To go along with that, many prestigious colleges, according to collegeboard.org require extremely high scores of 1500 or higher out of the max of 1600, for even a chance to be accepted. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges have become test optional. According to collegeboard.org, only about 7% of colleges require test scores on applications, so knowing what requirements the colleges you are planning on applying to have is essential in knowing whether the SAT is the right choice for you.

     For people who don’t know what the SAT is, it’s a standardized multiple-choice test designed to show a student’s readiness for college. The SAT is comprised into two sections, reading/writing and math.

     There are fewer better-informed people than your school’s guidance counselor about the SATs, as well as general college prep. The Squire interviewed EMHS guidance counselor, Mrs. Linkerhof, about her thoughts on how students can decide on whether taking the SAT is right for them. She replied with, “I recommend talking to an admissions counselor at the school you plan to intend.” If a student does wish to, or has already taken the SAT, it can still be helpful in their application process. Mrs. Linkerhof further explained, “If a school is test optional, the school will still review and consider your application.”

     Additionally, Mrs. Linkerhof also explained how students can prepare for the test. She said, “Aim for a combined score of 1050 or higher. If a student took the PSAT in tenth grade, they would have created a College Board account and can access their PSAT score information to help the study their weak areas.” She also talked about the website www.collegeboard.com, saying, “Students can access the ‘Practice and Prep’ drop down that can really help students prepare for the SAT.”

     Notably, there is a cost to take the SAT, as it costs $68 with a $38 late fee if you sign up after the deadline. In our region, the test is offered every month from August to December. It’s offered locally at WAHS, Warren Area High School, in November and May. Further information about test dates can be found on the EMHS Guidance web page on the WCSD website.

Overall, preparing for the SAT can be a stressful experience for many. However, going into it with a plan of how you are going to study and what areas are your weakest, can help reduce the stress involved with the test. The Squire thanks Mrs. Linkerhof for her time and thoughtful insight and wishes any test takers the best of luck!