Just hearing the three little letters, SAT, is enough to make most people’s palms sweat.  I bring this point up, being a  person that has taken the SAT or something similar to the SAT numerous times, because I thought I had conquered my fears of the SAT. I have taken the old SAT, the new SAT, the PSAT, and practice SATs at my school. I mean I really know how to fill in those bubbles. I am thankful that my school pushes its students to take the SAT early in his or her high school career. I stress out enough about this and I am only going to be a junior next year. I cannot imagine going to take it for the first time my senior year, knowing that where I go to college is pretty much determined by what I make on this test. I could be a stellar all A student, yet bomb the SAT, and my college dreams could go down the drain. Or I could be a C and B student, and excel so greatly on the SAT that my not so wonderful transcript is overlooked. That is the injustice of the SAT. All the determination, hard work, and ambition that is put into the grades, extracurriculars, and community service can virtually go unnoticed or, at least, looked at in a different light, because of that SAT score.

I also have to wonder about the scores themselves. When you are given your scores, you are also given a score range. This range varies in each direction, higher and lower, about 20 or 30 points.  Maybe I am just the exception, but my score has varied 80 points in critical reading, 50 points in math, and 170 points in writing. My best score in one sitting has been on one of the practice SATs, which makes me wonder about my ability to handle the pressure that I unknowingly put on myself. Even though the SAT is critical to my academic future I always thought I was rather laid back about it. I truly believe most students would score much better if they didn’t know so much rested on this one test, but then, of course, there always the people who don’t really care. I can tell you that I have never heard of the Christmas tree method working. I still do not know how to ace the SAT, so the best advice I can give to myself and the other poor souls who have to take it is don’t stress out about it too much, prepare yourself, get a good night’s sleep, and eat a good breakfast. My personal opinion is that chewing gum helps, but maybe that’s just me. Just try to do your best.