For many Upper School (US) upperclassmen, the SAT and ACT are sore subjects to bring up, looming as a source of comparison and pressure. From long study sessions to the expectation of high scores, students face an intense testing culture — even as 2,089 colleges across the country have become test-optional.
US College Counselor Fred Coyne used a metaphor to describe the significance of standardized testing results.
“A bicycle has spokes,” he said. “If you take one spoke out, the wheel still turns. I want students to view testing as just one ingredient in their college application. I’ve had kids apply to the most selective colleges with perfect scores and not get in. That proves it’s not one ingredient that tips the scale. Colleges care deeply about how you’re doing in your classes, what kind of student you are and your essays.”
Almost every sophomore and junior took the Oct. 15 PSAT, a practice for the SAT. US students often begin preparing for standardized testing during their junior year with around 80% taking the SAT.
Alex Tsay ’27 started preparing for the SAT over the summer heading into his junior year. He took the exam twice and plans to continue taking it.
“I didn’t want to drag it on and stress about it, so I decided I’d study in the summer before junior year and try to be done with it as early as possible.”
Alex experienced external pressure while preparing.
“Everyone’s goal is 1500-plus, and my parents expected it for me and my brother,” he said. “Most of the time, my parents didn’t bother me too much, which I am grateful for, though at times they had unrealistic expectations, like, ‘You have to study for six-plus hours every day,’ which I didn’t do.”
While preparing, Alex used resources like Bluebook, the SAT testing platform; Princeton Review; Khan Academy and SAT prep books.
Finley Long ’26 took the SAT three times.
“The test scores don’t represent me as a student because it’s a small sample size,” he said. “What if I was just having a bad day and bombed the test? Is that who I am as a student?”
Understanding how the SAT works is key.
“Don’t worry about it until the summer before junior year at the earliest,” Finley said. “As long as you recognize patterns and know how to exploit the test, you will be fine. For example, there are specific types of questions, and their answers usually follow the same format.”
Competition added onto the stress Violet Zhang ’27 felt.
“Most of the comparison happens when I hear about other people’s test scores and start to self-sabotage,” she said. “I built this narrative that most kids don’t have to study hard and only have to take the SAT once before getting a target score.”
Amanda Berlin ’26 didn’t feel relieved by the rise of test-optional colleges.
“A lot of the time, the SAT’s about work ethic and perseverance,” she said. “I know a lot of people who can be great students, take it once and get it over with. I also know people who receive good scores but might not do very well in school. What colleges need to look for is: You know this knowledge before you step into the real world. All of the tested subjects are on grammar and things we should know, but not knowing doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent.”
