Three insignificant letters that somehow hold so much power over juniors at Nonnewaug High School. The SATs – fear, hatred, dread, and a sense of approaching doom. 

Let’s be honest: Nobody wants to sit for three hours and take a standardized test. But maybe my fellow juniors should actually care about the SATs – and your future self might thank you. 

If you’re applying to your dream four-year school or going for a simple two-year degree, the SATs could – and probably will – shape your future. 

With the SATs making a comeback in the college application process, Nonnewaug’s juniors need to realize how much good these SAT’s can really do for them. 

Almost all Nonnewaug graduates move on to some type of education after Nonnewaug. The 2023 graduating class counted 85% of its students moved on to either a four-year or two-year college. According to the experts, the SATs matter.

“I do think SATs have a place in the application because it does provide that standardized piece and that constant,” said Nonnewaug College and Career Resource Center counselor Kathy Green. “If students do well on their SATs, it provides opportunities for greater merit scholarships and it may be required for specific requirements within the college.” 

When COVID shut down schools in 2020, this meant it shut down SAT testing sites and disrupted high school education around the country. With so many limitations, colleges modified their application requirements, and many made the SAT optional. Instead, colleges took a closer look at grade-point averages, essays, recommendations, and other metrics for applicants.

“Schools [had] moved in that direction and [recognized] it’s not necessarily the test that indicates student success,” said Green. “What sped that up significantly was COVID, and when SAT test centers shut down, students shut down testing. [Universities] recognized that limitation and went test-optional.”

With no more COVID restrictions, there are no more limitations, and colleges are beginning to take a closer look at the perks of the SAT. 

“In the more recent years, schools have been studying the data and recognizing whether test scores or GPAs are a better indicator for student success in college,” said Green. “Some schools are finding that the standardized test is a better indicator of student success. Grades differ from teacher to teacher [and] from school to school all across the country; there is no standardized grading system.”

Some students have zero thoughts of college life, so they rush through the SATs without taking any of the questions seriously. 

How many of those students will change their minds? How many will change their mindset and go to college? Should these students have given the SAT’s a chance? 

“I do think it’s worth it to take them at least once,” said Mykal Kuslis, NHS principal. “It is tough in junior year to know what you want to do with the rest of your life. I think there are kids who might decide to go back to college, and they’ll need those scores.”

Students at NHS need to be more open-minded with the SATs. Most don’t understand that it’s more than a standardized test. Most don’t understand how many opportunities it could open for them. 

“Even if it wasn’t required by the state, I think that you can open doors,” said Green. “It doesn’t need to be perceived as a test to be avoided.”

So to all my fellow juniors who have to sit for the SATs, take a moment and think about the good this test could do for you.

This is the opinion of Chief Advocate junior editor Juliana Bailey, a junior at Nonnewaug.