The SATs

February 23, 2009 • written by C.J. Taylor

The SATs are coming up soon and most juniors are either ready or very scared. Many students were confused at the start of this semester about the SATs and how to register and prepare for the test.  Vicki McCammon, BMC Guidance Counselor, said, “The best way to register is online. You can buy big test booklets, but the best preparation is to do well in English, have a good vocabulary, and a good background.” But if you do not have a good background in any of the categories mentioned above you should buy a SAT study guide. They sell them at places like Books-A-Million and Barnes & Noble.

Students also question when to take the SAT. McCammon says, “Most students wait until Junior Year.” The Junior Year is important because it gives students the opportunity to take it more than once to get better scores, and you can use those scores to apply to colleges. “The basic average college is looking for maybe a 1050 or more,” said McCammon. What that means is that most students don’t have to worry unless they want to go to a specialized school like Harvard, Yale, or Massachusetts Institution of Technology.

Students are also asking about the ACT, and if they should take that instead. But many students don’t know the difference between the ACT and SAT. McCammon says the ACT is more intelligence based, while the SAT is more achievement based. One student, Ebe Sadek gave his reason for taking the ACT rather than the SAT.  “I don’t think colleges take the SAT seriously anymore.  People [who evaluate SAT scores] use math as a filter, and it requires much more work.” Sadek goes on to say that he would rather take the ACT because it evaluates students as a whole and not in parts like the SAT.  

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