The SAT is a college/career readiness test that is often necessary for college admittance; however, it is debated whether or not students at Lake Shore High School are prepared to take the SAT.

Dr. Janelle Bross, principal at Lake Shore High School, says, “For a student, the purpose of the test is to not only meet the qualifications of any post- secondary institution they may want to attend after high school, but also determine what areas of their academics may still need to be addressed so they can be successful at that post-secondary institution. Obviously, the higher the score, the more likely a student is to be admitted to their selected program and statistically more likely to be successful in completing that program.”

Dr. Bross explains how the SAT will determine if a student meets the qualifications for a post-secondary institution. Taking the SAT can offer plenty of opportunities for the future of students no matter what they have planned for after high school.

Dr. Bross says, “Regardless of whether a student wants to enter the workforce, military or college/university after high school, there are many reasons to take this test seriously. First and foremost, Spring of Junior year is the only opportunity that students get to take the SAT for free. It would be great for every student to do their personal best and not have to ever consider re-taking it. Second, there are jobs, scholarships and grant opportunities that become available based on SAT scores. Third, even if you don’t believe college is in your future…plans change.”

No matter what each student plans to do after high school, there are motivating factors that encourage students to take the SAT. The SAT has been a part of the curriculum for many years, so much so that Lake Shore used to offer an SAT prep class.

Dr. Bross says, “Many years ago, we did have a separate SAT class that served as an elective credit. We stopped offering the class in 2020 as we shifted to semesters.  Rather than a stand-alone class, LSHS moved to infuse SAT prep into all courses.”

This change has caused many Lake Shore students to feel unprepared for the SAT. Many students feel that if the SAT prep class was reestablished, they would be more confident in their ability to become successful.

Braysian Alley, a junior at Lake Shore High School, says, “Without the SAT prep class, I feel less prepared for the test. I feel like trying to cram SAT prep into a regular class doesn’t give you any of the information that you need.”

Alley mentions how it is difficult to accommodate two crucial lessons into one class period. 

Alley says, “Without a separate class for SAT prep, it is hard to manage time. It’s hard enough to manage one class, let alone two at the same time.”

Alley believes that he would benefit from learning more about the SAT. There are many questions that students have about the SAT that aren’t taught in an individual course.

“Why is there a time limit, and what information should we review before the test?” Alley questioned.

Ava Pittiglio, a junior at Lake Shore High School, says, “I don’t think that students are being prepared enough for it. If I’m being honest, just in the past week or two is when I heard students start talking about it.”

Pittiglio believes that it would be more beneficial for teachers to begin working on SAT prep with their students more frequently and longer before the test. There is a lot of material to cover before the SAT and it is difficult to prepare students only a few weeks in advance.

Pittiglio says, “I feel like we would have enough time to prepare if we had a separate class for it that would be for an hour a day. I feel like that would really get people ready for the test.”

More preparation and time are what many students wish for before the SAT. A separate class designed for students to prepare for the SAT would make students feel more confident in their ability to take the test successfully.

Josephine Gore, a junior at Lake Shore High School, says, “A lot of our classes cater toward it but not completely.”

Gore acknowledges that more effort needs to be put into SAT prep. If the lesson plans were strictly dedicated to the SAT, students would feel more confident about the test.

Studying is proven to increase the success rate on tests. The problem is, some students don’t know what it is they need to study. Being confident and prepared for the SAT is vital and something that some students wish was fostered at Lake Shore.