This past Wednesday, a number of Leyden students participated in the nationwide PSAT/SAT exam, leaving students with high levels of stress and anxiety. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a test that all high school students take each year in the early spring and late fall to provide a measure on each student’s growth in math and English; however, as students attempt to prepare for the exam, lots of them are left feeling tired, defeated, and overwhelmed at just the mere thought of the SAT. 

     The SAT plays an important role in colleges’ decisions of who to admit and reject. Each college/university has their requirements and only accept students that meet the prerequisites. Students all across the nation and (some international) have been taking this exam twice a year ever since they first started high school, earning millions of dollars for the organization that owns it, The College Board. High school students, knowing that their score will determine their future plans, try their best to study and prepare themselves for the SAT. Senior Leiyan Suhweil says, “I don’t like the idea that a four-hour long test determines my college plans. It does not represent all the hard work I have done throughout my high school years whatsoever, but it is something that we all have to go through in order to move onto the next step in our lives.” 

     Many students are thinking, “How will taking this test assure colleges I am ready for a higher education? Sitting at a desk for four hours and filling in bubbles does not determine my knowledge, in fact, it causes stress which hinders intellectual growth.” School counselor Ms. Muldoon says, “It is important for students to always do their best on any assessment to show areas of strength and areas of improvement as well as to create as many post secondary options as possible.” The SAT is not only used for college admission but also for scholarship opportunities. When students try their best on these kinds of assessments, they are open to many more opportunities for their future. 

     Although the SAT is something not many are eager to take, it is still important to try your best. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors taking the PSAT are encouraged by Leyden staff members and upperclassmen to “try your hardest but do not feel discouraged if you did not do as well as you would have thought. This test is a few hours which does not define your four years of hard work in high school. Just try your best and allow yourself to strive for improvement.”