This fall marks the start of PSAT/SAT season for the Wilsonville Wildcats! This time can be a stressful one for students, especially students taking these tests for the first time. The SATs/PSATs are nerve-wracking for anyone, with the stress of applying to colleges that require test scores. 

Yaamini Aga, a sophomore here at WHS, hopes the PSATs will help her learn how to strategize and be prepared when the time comes to take the SAT. Aga also explained that her overall goal for the PSATs is to get a 1350 or above. “I’m looking forward to taking the PSATs, mostly because I’m curious about the whole process. It’s sort of stressful, but I know it will help me in the long run.”

The SATs are taken during senior and junior years and are designed to assess a student’s readiness for higher education and to provide colleges and universities with a common evaluation of applicants. Meanwhile, the PSATs are for sophomores and juniors and serve as a practice exam for the SATs, typically taken as a way to prepare yourself for the real deal SAT. Both of these exams test students’ reading, writing, and math abilities.

Sasha Nagy, a senior who has previously taken the PSATs in her junior year, says, “They were a good way to prepare for the SATs, and you can use your PSAT scores to get a better understanding of what you need to study for once you are ready to take the SATs.” She also explains how she feels nervous because “It’s a big deal for getting scholarships and getting into college.”

As the years have progressed, SATs have become less necessary to get into colleges, especially here in Oregon, where no colleges require the tests to apply. This year at Wilsonville High School, the SAT will be handwritten and take place October 11th, and the PSAT will be digital and will take place October 13th. 

So far, students have made it clear that these exams can be very stressful but useful in the long run to prepare yourself for the future of college and inevitable anxiety-inducing exams.