With the Scholastic Aptitude Test [SAT] date drawing near, students scramble to find ways to prepare for the “dreaded day.” Standardized tests such as the SAT and the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test [PSAT] are used to determine a high school student’s academic abilities and whether they are prepared for college.

“The SAT test is important for getting into college as well as obtaining a beneficial financial aid offer,” Jon Endicott, vice principal, said. “Often if your SAT scores are higher, you can receive money through scholarships and grants from colleges.”

In order to do well on the test, students usually find ways to prepare through the help of prep courses. Prep courses such as Ivy West and Kaplan are proven aids, but according to Endicott, the best way to prepare is to do your homework.

“I’ll probably study English the most because that’s what I struggle with the most,” Daniel Crosby, ’06, said. “Although I’ll probably sign up for a prep course too.”

Online study sheets such as the free online test prep from www.number2.com. Shawn Cason, ’04, printed up a study sheet and studied from it.

“I’ve been looking at how the SAT works,” Cason said. “I’m going to Fresno State for two years, so it doesn’t matter much to me. I don’t have much of a pressure to do well on the SAT.”

Some students, however, do not seem to understand the significance of the tests.

“It’s not a good way to measure students for college,” Cale Livingston, ’04, said. “It’s a waste of time and money. I really don’t care about it.”

The SAT is offered many times during the fall and spring. The test is offered on Dec. 6 with a registration deadline set for Nov. 9. After that students can register for the Jan. 24 test date in the office.

The SAT will undergo major changes in March 2005 aimed at the class of 2006. The current SAT verbal section will be renamed critical reading; analogies will be replaced with more reading passages and a written essay. The math section of the SAT will be modified by the addition of concepts from Algebra II alongside the usual Algebra I and Geometry.

The PSAT is used as direct practice for the SAT. It gives you an evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses before taking the SAT.

“All sophomores and juniors that are planning on going to college should take this test [PSAT],” Endicott said. “It is an excellent prep for the real thing and for juniors it could result in a big scholarship.”

The PSAT is being offered on campus on Oct. 21 for $10. More details for the PSAT will arrive in a few weeks in the student announcements.

Students that plan to apply to a University of California [UC] school should consider taking the SAT II. The SAT II a subject-based test and is required for admittance into a UC school.

More information on SAT or SAT II can be found online at www.collegeboard.com or by visiting Endicott in the high school office. To learn more about Ivy West, visit their website at www.ivywest.com. For students interested in a Kaplan prep course, information can be found at www.kaptest.com.