The coveted 2400, a number that has the power to almost guarantee a spot to the top colleges of any choice.  Trying to achieve this perfect score is no easy feat, and students preparing for the SAT feel the pressure and the high stakes at hand.

With the average score around a 1500, many students feel this score is not enough to get into the colleges of their choice and put in hours of meticulous studying to learn the ins and outs of this important test.  An average students plans on taking the SAT two to three times within their junior and senior year of high school, hoping to improve their scores each time around.

“I’ve taken a prep course called SUMA and studied a lot on my own,” junior Gillian Allen said.  “With the class I learned a lot of things about the test that I didn’t know before, and during the class, I spent an average of about 10 hours a week preparing.”

With so much time and effort spent on preparing for the SAT, managing school work and extracurriculars can turn into a juggling act.

“Balancing SAT prep with schoolwork can be challenging,” senior Delaney Porter said. “You have to stay on top of your school assignments and make time to study and prepare for the test.”

Studying for the SAT is not something that can be done overnight; it takes commitment and diligence mainly because this test is not set up like most.  Most of the studying involves learning strategies and managing the time aspect of the test.

“After taking a prep course through the Princeton Review, I learned the SAT doesn’t necessarily measure intelligence, it measures more how well you know how to take the test,” senior Maddy Oas said.

Although the SAT may not measure how much you learned in school, the main pressure to do well comes from the desire to get into the top colleges of choice.  Many ambitious students feel that receiving an average score of 1500 is not enough and work hard to better their scores and secure their futures.

“While taking the class, I spent about five hours a week reviewing or taking practice tests,” senior Mitch Goedken said. “I’ve been working really hard because I know the schools I want to get into are very competitive. Doing well on the SAT will increase my chances of getting accepted.”