The Three Letters That Freak Students Out: SAT.

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Richard Gill, Writer

    There were butterflies in my stomach as I entered the school with the impression that I would do as poorly as the last time I practiced. I’ve taken countless number of practice tests and my hope crumpled up and thrown in the trash. I went to the High School at 7:45 am on March 9th to take the SATs like many other students that day. Most of the students were Juniors from Waltham High School, but a few kids were from other towns.. All the students taking the SATs were assigned a classroom, and the whole process was much the same as MCAS and the PSATs. Each class had a proctor and the proctor read the rules of the SATs to the students before the test and between each section. Additionally, there was a section 5 in the SATs: it was an extra section and it was for testing new material for next year’s SAT test. Everybody had a section 5 and each person had different material: you either had math or reading & writing. However, section 5 isn’t being graded; it’s only for testing new material for next year’s SATs. This extra section surprised everyone because we weren’t expecting it. I think it’s necessary to test new material on students taking the SAT, my section 5 was a math section, and in my opinion it was relatively easier than my other math sections because there was less material from algebra 2 and more material from algebra 1. The downside is that it added more stress to an already nerve wracking situation. Also, in light of the recent college admissions scandal; it’s important to note that many of my peers who took the SATs felt a personal injustice about it. They felt that way because they put a great deal of hard work as a means to do well on the test. My peers had to study, pay for it with the limited money they have, and stress themselves out. If you don’t know what the scandal is, allow me to quickly explain it to you. In short, wealthy families have been committing fraud and bribing teachers so their children can get into Ivy League universities and other prestigious universities. I hope justice will be served to the criminals involved and on a different note, I hope all students can have an fantastic experience taking the SATs.