The week that SAT scores are revealed tends to become the most stressful week of a high school junior’s career. Most juniors believe the score they receive determines who they are and the level of success they will achieve. This is certainly not the case.  Scores are not set in stone; the SAT can be retaken as many times as a student wants, and super scoring is an option as well. I believe that the pressure of the test causes an intense amount of stress for high school students.  

Every student attaches junior year with the anxiety of SAT tests and college. They use this year to get up their grades and to really become prepared for college. When I received my SAT score after the first time I took it, I was extremely disappointed and knew I could’ve done much better. All my classmates repeatedly asked me “What’d you get?” They expected me to share my scores as they judged and compared their scores to others. They determined that the score you get determines your level of intelligence.   

According to Michael Gonchar from the New York Times, “some families spend thousands of dollars on test preparation courses or private tutors because they think so much is riding on test scores.” It is extremely common for a student to be successful yet freak out when it comes to taking a test or an exam. This test does not determine your future. Yes, it may help you get into the college or even the one of your choice, but it does not pre-determine the student that you are and the student you can be.   

Over the year, I enrolled in a SAT preparation class (not here at Towson) that did not effectively prepare me for the test itself. I also tried getting a tutor to help me practice the math portion of the SAT. Although I learned new information from this tutor, when test day came my anxiety got the best of me. Test anxiety is a real thing and it is extremely prevalent among high school students, especially juniors who are taking tests as important as the SAT.  

The bottom line is there are many reasons why this score is not as important as it is made out to be. The only thing you can do is believe in yourself and ignore the expectation. I believe eliminating the pressure of SAT could favor many students. Do the best you can do and remember that is just a score, and it can be retaken.