It’s that time of year again: last minute prep sessions, sharpened pencils, and the rapid flipping of flash cards. The fear and anticipation is practically tangible as Huntley High School’s junior class prepares to take an exam that could possibly determine the course of the next few years of their lives. It’s National SAT Test Day.

This state assessment is required whether or not you are planning on applying to college – you’re diploma depends on your ability to take the test. The SAT focuses in on evidence-based reading and writing as well as an optional essay portion.

The SAT is widely used for college admissions and a student’s score is often a factor in a student’s acceptance.

“I definitely feel nervous about the test just because it’s a big deal and it determines a lot as far as colleges go,” junior Kathryn Urosevich said.

In a www.usnews.com article, Anne Dolin, founder and president of Educational Connections Tutoring said, “A depends on where a student wants to attend.”

Though previously the test was scored out of 2,400, it is now scored out of 1,600. A student can score between the bracket of 200 and 800 on each of the two sections, and those numbers are added up together to get the final score.

At HHS, students have been preparing for the assessment in  their English and Math classes, but if juniors wanted to get extra resources could be found at  www.khanacademy.org, a free online SAT tutoring service, or physical classes/tutors.

“I feel prepared because I’ve been working on Khan Academy,” Urosevich said. “I’ve set up my own practice schedule. It’s like 15 minutes of SAT stuff a day, so that adds up to improve your score. I’ve done what I can.”

Us staff members at The Voice are wishing the juniors good luck!