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PrintSpecial Report: Prepping for the New SAT
Next Saturday is SAT day for college bound students, and if your kids are taking the all-important test, you had better make sure they are ready for the essay section, a new change for the SAT.
Meghan Yakas hopes to one day be correcting papers as a teacher.
But this junior at Walpole High School has to first focus on getting a high score on the all-important SAT.
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I have the obvious nerves for it deciding what school I might get into," Yakas said.What
’s making Meghan more nervous are the radical changes to this college entrance exam. Starting this month, the SAT will now include some advanced algebra and reading comprehension questions.The biggest change is the new essay section worth 30 percent of the writing score.
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Everyone’s just worried that they’re not going to do well," Yakas said.To get ready for the changes, Megan plans on spending extra hours studying. Some teens are even hiring tutors, and teachers are dedicating more time in the classroom for preparing students.
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We’ve been doing a lot in class essays for thinking on the spot and that kind of thing," Yakas said.So why has the focus of the SAT shifted after so many years of staying the same? Experts say good writing skills are crucial for colleges and careers.
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Colleges and universities are going to be able to make better admission decisions or even placement decisions as a result of this new information," Kay Dietrich said.With the new additions comes a new score. The highest score is now a 2,400 instead of a 1,600, and students will have an extra 45 minutes to take the test.