Every school year, many students take the SAT, which is a standardized test that Universities use for admissions. But hundreds of students ask the same question: “Is there one study method that works for everyone, or is it just luck to get the perfect score? “

Due to colleges removing the SAT as an admissions requirement, the number of students taking the SAT has been declining overall. Wilsonville High School recently administered the PSAT; 11th graders attended, with only a few 10th graders. Many juniors were there for the second time, after not doing well in an earlier attempt. 

Why were there so few 10th graders taking the PSAT? Do people in a more advanced math class have the advantage of getting a better score on the PSAT/SAT than students in an average-level math class? Among all these questions, the most important one is this: How do people get a better score on the PSAT/SAT on their first try?  

One of the things known is that a lot of people practice for the PSAT for months in advance, just like the AP tests administered by WVHS in the spring. In a Collegevine article, the author talks about how one person scored 1520 on the SAT and they recommended using Khan Academy for SAT practice.

Another resource shared that many students have used Bluebook, which, according to CollegeVine, is “the new way of taking the PSAT/SAT in a digital format.”

Is there a correlation between a student’s SAT scores and GPA? 

Success on the SAT ultimately depends on success in high school levels of math and English classes, But there may also be a correlation between high school GPA and SAT scores. An example is that at prepscholar.com, the graph showed one high school that was tested on the correlation between high school GPA and PSAT/SAT scores.

The study found that students who had a 4.0 GPA were more likely to get a score that was above 2000. Still, students who had a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5 could get a score that is below or at the average of 1000 on the PSAT.

This research shows a correlation between the grade point average and the average SAT score for this specific school, which was studied during the experiment. The study also found that documents providing records for a student in high school in GPA and class ranks are the single best predictor of academic performance in college.

This school also said that “both studies that were conducted turned out to prove and disprove the score gotten by students that had a higher GPA and also the score students got with a lower GPA.” Based on this study, there can sometimes be a correlation between the GPA of a student and their SAT score, but this is not always the case.

But what about people in WVHS? How do they feel about the PSAT/SAT?

When asked about what influenced his decision to take the SAT, Wilsonville High School junior Arush Goswami says, “I was influenced by the increasing test-taking prevalence of the SAT and PSAT.”

Goswami believes that Khan Academy is the most helpful resource for both the PSAT and SAT, as it helps prepare students for both the math and reading parts of the SAT. His friends also recommend Khan Academy for practice and identifying areas for improvement in math and reading.

Goswami believes that SAT scores determine which college one goes into, and a good SAT score is necessary for admission to an Ivy League college. However, he now believes that SAT scores are not as important as other factors in the college’s decision-making process. While many colleges are becoming test-blind, some still require an SAT score for admission consideration.

When asked, Goswami shares, “I don’t believe that there is a correlation between SAT scores and grade point averages, because I believe that even with more knowledge and practice than some people, anyone can achieve a good SAT score.” However, he is not happy that most colleges are test-blind, but his effort toward the SAT remains a determining factor in what college he gets into.

Goswami’s perspective on the SAT and its importance in college admissions reflects his concern for the SAT and its role in determining college acceptance for students at WVHS and while he may represent only a small part of the WVHS community a lot of people in WVHS have this same perspective that SAT scores are a determining factor to getting into college. 

Does this same benefit go for people internationally?

In an article about a student from India getting a perfect SAT score and the benefits, the student responds,

“I was thinking of not taking the SAT, but now that it helps me get into college, I am so happy that I took the SAT let alone got a good score Now, I can go to MIT, Yale, and other IVY League colleges.” This further shows that for international students taking the PSAT/SAT, provides major advantages in the college application process.

So the best way to get a good PSAT/SAT score is to practice, knowing that the right resources to improve your score can bring positive results. Lastly, students at WVHS can improve by actually taking the PSAT/SAT because this year, for the WVHS juniors and seniors, the SAT can be one of the many factors that can help students get into college and beyond.