Is the SAT Important?

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Avery Scott-Fudge, Features Writer

At 7:30 in the morning, on Wednesday, April 13,  junior students will find their way into their assigned classroom to take the Student Aptitude Test, also known as the SAT. 

This test can help determine a student’s future in both scholarships and, in some cases, college applications. This test is a significant factor in some schools for determining whether or not a college admissions officer would accept a student. 

It is for these reasons that it is critical to study in order to earn a good score. Doing so can unlock many opportunities for students, and everyone wants scholarship money to attend college, and one way to earn that is to score well. 

The SAT is unique because it is scored on a scale from 0-1600 and is based on sections and the number of questions answered correctly. It is a multiple-choice test with just ten questions that are not multiple-choice and are instead gridded in. 

A “good” score can be considered anything above an 1100, and 1600 is nearly impossible to achieve, with less than one percent every year earning that score. 

The SAT automatically gives 400 free points for signing your name, so a score less than 400 is not possible. 

With all these factors considered, SAT studying and preparation are critical to future success. 

Luckily, Lakeland has teachers that care about students’ successes, and they take essential class time and devote it to SAT prep. 

One such teacher is Shannon Mattila, who teaches junior math at both college and high school levels. 

When asked why she does this, she said, “I found in the past that most students do not study for the SAT on their own time, so I use time during class because I think it is important.”

It is not a requirement for teachers to do so, and they can choose what areas they review. 

“I focus on areas that students have been weak by doing a targeted review over that material, and then I focus on test strategies and practicing getting through the test in an efficient way,” Mattila said. 

Such review is critical, especially for students that cannot find the time to study on their own, both to learn new concepts on the SAT and learn how to take the test as well.

The SAT covers material taught as early as freshman year and, for some, going back to concepts learned in eighth grade. 

That is why review is important to reinforce these concepts and make sure students are prepared for such a comprehensive exam. 

Students can expect their scores to be returned to them in a time range of 2-4 weeks, but most likely three weeks, since the exam is taken at school. 

However, one should wonder why an exam requires a student to remember everything learned in high school. 

The question should be asked, is the SAT actually valuable?