For the first time ever, Downey High School will be paying to have junior students take the SAT on campus Wednesday, March 7. Students would normally have to go onto the College Board website and pay for the test themselves or acquire a fee waiver in order to cover the costs. Juniors will have the opportunity to take a “free” SAT test  that they can later utilize for college applications and financial aid once they start applying for college during their senior year of high school.

Field disc thrower and junior student Ariana Edwards, 11, sees the school paid test as a good opportunity for those who will take it and is preparing herself for the exam.

“I think it is good, because a lot of kids wouldn’t take the test if they had to pay for it themselves,” Edwards said. “Personally, I use apps to help me study and watch videos for extra help.”

Juniors will be taking the SATs in various assigned classrooms throughout the campus. While it may be a good thing for the students, it could also be expensive for the school, as they would have to pay for roughly 1,000 SAT tests. Despite the potential cost, the tests would give the students not only the chance to take the test, but an idea of what will be on the test so that they may be better prepared the next time they take the SAT.  

Junior student and field shot put thrower Jose Cisneros, 11, believes that the paid SAT will be beneficial to students who take advantage of it.

“I think it’s amazing; it’ll save the students a lot of money and give all juniors a chance to see what the test is like, so if they decide to take it again they can get higher scores,” Cisneros said. “Plus, they don’t have to wake up early on a Saturday to drive to some random school.”

While the test may be paid for, students taking it must still prepare for it themselves in order to score well on it. Luckily for them there are a variety of ways to study for it, ranging from helpful videos to approved study books based on previous tests. Flash cards and online practice tests are another way for students to study in order to better prepare themselves for what may be on the SATs.

Current junior student and robotics club member Eric Huber, 11, stresses the importance about being prepared for the test and not waiting for the last minute to cram information.

“Start studying a few months in advance, don’t procrastinate,” Huber said. “Take your time, don’t just focus on one problem. The SAT isn’t the only part of the college admission process, so don’t stress too much.”

While juniors will be taking the SATs, sophomores and freshmen will also be taking the PSATs on the same day, in order to get them prepared for the SAT exams. All students should take advantage of this opportunity and try their hardest in order to get an idea of how prepared they are for future reference and preparation.