Seniors, juniors and some sophomores alike attempt to study in final preparation for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

Jon Endicott, associate principal, provides registration information and a preparation booklet for interested students. Those who plan to take the SAT this year must register by Oct. 2 for the Nov. 3 test to avoid late fees; the deadline for the Oct. 6 test has already expired.

?The SAT is important for two reasons: to get accepted to college and also to receive scholarships,? Endicott said. ?Kids don?t realize that they can get money for doing something that they already might do.?

Senior Matthew Nickel plans to attend a private, UC or military academy.

?Last spring I took the SAT,? Nickel said, ?but I will retake it in hopes of getting a better score. I want to go to a prestigious college, so my SAT score is important.?

The test’s influence on college acceptance motivates Phil Neal, ?09, to prepare for his first SAT experience.

?I will definitely study for it,? Neal said. ?I will probably use one of the preparation books. I want to do my best.?

Some seniors still need to sign up for the SAT. Although city colleges do not require an SAT score for admittance, students often take the test anyways.

While Lorin Weskamp, ’08, plans to attend Fresno City College next year, she prepares to take the test.

?I want to keep my options open,? Weskamp said, ?in case I change my mind about where I want to go to school. There is a lot of pressure to test well because you know that you are intelligent, and you want to succeed.?

Endicott believes students have the opportunity to perform well on the SAT, which measures the student?s mastery of reading comprehension, writing and mathematics.

?The curriculum at Fresno Christian will help prepare you for the SAT,? Endicott said, ?just by doing your homework, you are helping yourself get ready for the SAT.?

If students intend to go to a college in Eastern U.S., they also must take the American College Test (ACT), which is an alternative to the SAT. While both tests are similar, some students find that they prefer to approach one test and score higher.

Some students focus on studying for the lengthy test, while others neglect last minute preparations.

?I?m not going to study,? Weskamp said. ?I?m just going to wing it. However, I think the math part will be especially challenging.?

Students must pay to take both the SAT and the ACT. The SAT reasoning test costs $43, with a late registration fee of $22. The ACT costs $30 for regular testing, with an additional $15 for the writing section.

No matter study methods, time continues to run out for fall SAT registration. Besides the upcoming Oct. 6 and Nov. 3 dates, tests will continue to be administered once a month, on Dec. 1, Jan. 26 and March 1.