SAT Week

Earlier this month, Frederick County students participated in the SATs, the standardized test used mainly for college admissions. However, there were negative reactions towards the test from students.

Some students feel that the test is an unnecessary addition to their already packed schedule, especially if they participate in an after school program or extracurricular such as CTC. Leslie Guerrero, a junior at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School and a student in the CTC program, feels that it adds extra stress to a student’s workload. “In the morning, we have to worry about clinicals,” she adds. “Then some of us have to worry about math in the afternoon, which is already difficult, and even after school I have an engineering class… most of us in the grade weren’t even aware that the SATs were this week.”

Preparation for the SAT is very complex, but students still feel that there could be more awareness brought to what subjects they’ll be tested on. “We don’t really even have time to prepare, and some of us also have jobs after school, so it gets kind of straining.”

Another student taking the SAT, Stephen Hogan, notes “They didn’t even give me a calculator on the test.” Students are required to bring their own calculators to the test, which can cost up to $100. “I don’t think it’s fair that they evaluate you on that test, it’s no different from a random one they give you in a normal class… half the things I did on the test I haven’t even learned about yet.”

Teachers declined to comment on their opinions. Whether or not people agree on college admissions based on SAT scores, schools involved will generally have negative opinions on the test due to schedule changes, time management, and the extra work that comes with it.