As the sun sets, students’ highlighters squeak as they flip through their SAT prep books, sitting at desks stacked with notebooks, practice tests, and notes. As the night deepens, laptop screens cast a soft glow, illuminating their focused faces, while phone timers buzz, breaking the quiet in the room.
Across the country, the SAT is a widely used standardized test that colleges rely on to evaluate their applicants. According to the College Board, around 1.97 million students took the exam in 2024, making it one of the most common college admissions tests in the country.
As the SAT on Mar. 14 approaches, many students continue to adjust their schedules to fit in extra practice and tutor sessions, making them balance their preparation with homework and other extracurricular activities.
To study for the exam, students take a variety of approaches. “Some things I’m doing to prepare for the March SAT are taking as many practice tests as possible and trying practice questions to review on the topics,” said junior Shalini Srinivasan.
In addition to practice tests, many students turn to online resources and prep books. “I am currently using Khan Academy and textbooks to prepare for my SAT,” said junior Carly Draudt. “Starting from next month, I will also be getting a tutor.”
For some students, preparing for the SAT can be difficult to fit into their schedule. “I had been on a study grind starting from the end of December. I would try to get in at least one hour of studying every day, but obviously everyday is not the same,” said Draudt. “Especially with midterms going on right now, I have been more focused on studying for my classes rather than my SAT.”
On the other hand, some students can fit their SAT without it disrupting other activities. Junior Evangeline Phillip said, “I didn’t let SAT prep take over my schedule and just fit studying in when I had time, so it didn’t interfere too much with school or other activities.”
Even with preparation, some students still feel more confident in certain sections of the SAT. Draudt said that she was “definitely more confident in the English section and more worried when it comes to the math part.”
To help tackle difficult sections, some students focus on learning strategies to improve their accuracy. “I think the SAT is more based on strategy because each section has tricks and techniques to help you find the correct answer,” said Srinivasan. “Specifically, each topic has different strategies that can be used to get more answers correct.”
Even with careful planning and study strategies, the workload can be overwhelming for some students. “[The SAT] is definitely a lot, being on top of all my homework and tests for school, but also preparing myself for the SAT, which happens to be a really important exam for college, it does get stressful,” said Draudt.
While SAT prep can be stressful, it is still possible for students to maintain a balance, which allows them to make time for friends, hobbies, and other activities in their everyday lives.
