Students vs. SAT/ACT

For many students, one of the biggest goals in their high school career is to receive a decent score on their SAT or ACT. Although people have different definitions of what is considered adequate, BSGE students have standards set fairly high. Along with diploma grades and extracurriculars, the score on these standardized tests weigh heavily on a student’s future. It can the deciding factor for the colleges one gets accepted to, and thus the rest of their life.

Because of the overwhelming importance put on these exams, it is expected that students do everything

they can to prepare for the tests for them to perform at the best of their abilities.  However, SAT or ACT prep is not offered directly from BSGE, so students find their own ways of studying. The tenth grade is the first time students take the PSAT, which is supposed to be a guideline for what to expect the following year and in the twelfth grade on the real SAT, as well as mattering for the National Merit Scholarship.  Some students do study for the PSAT, but most wait until after the they receive their results to start taking the tests seriously.

Over the summer of tenth grade and the entirety of the eleventh is when intense cramming takes place. While a minority of students rely on purely studying from books, a significant amount use online preparatory courses as their own personal tutorial. They believe that programs like Khan Academy and Kaplan, which are based online, are most useful because they are catered to individual students and track their progress accordingly. It is also convenient as students are able to use them wherever and whenever they please. On the other hand, many students do not feel like they will improve without anyone physically being there to force them to learn. This is why they recommend places like KYS Academy, GPS Academy, Mega Academy, Kweller Prep and E-Math as a mode of studying, either in a classroom environment or in individual classes.

Usually, seniors are happy with their performance and the schools they get accepted to. Studying is important but these scores do not reflect everything about you and everything you know.