Illustration by Ella Aspinall
Those pesky standardized tests that have been daunting students for years have begun to pose problems other than just the potential for a poor score after hours of test preparation. Due to modern technologies and the aftermath of the pandemic, the Scholastic Aptitude Test and ACT tests have undergone significant changes. The tests are now shorter as the essay section has been removed. The College Board has also announced that the test will soon be available in an online format.
Along with these changes, there is an air of anxiety as students get back to the grind of college preparations in this post-pandemic world. Students have to get back to taking the dreaded standardized tests, but it has proven to be a challenge.
Pinewood does not offer the SAT or ACT tests on campus for students and so students have had to travel all over to take the test. With the Bay Area being known for its competitive college applicants, test centers fill up quickly and most students have to drive or fly to other cities.
This writer just had to travel down to Palm Springs, CA to take her test. This travel was necessary to avoid a 100 mile car ride to a lesser populated city.
Junior Kate Cornyn had a similar experience.
“I had to leave school early to drive to Fresno with my dad,” Cornyn said. “We stayed in a hotel overnight which cost a lot of money and stressed me out because I couldn’t sleep in my own bed or be in the comfort of my own home the morning of.”
Junior Alex Sheiba has a similar travel plan for his upcoming SAT.
“I have to drive three hours to San Rafael for my upcoming SAT,” Shieba said. “Because of the long drive, I have to leave early and deal with an overnight stay right before my test.”
The expenses that come from these day trips and overnight stays on top of standardized test costs can become expensive quickly. Standardized tests can be extremely financially straining, giving financially stable students, who have already been able to spend more on tutoring and test prep, a large advantage. Students of lower income families do not have the luxury to travel such great distances or spend money on prestigious tutoring.
Additionally, the missed class that stems from these trips puts a strain on a student's education.
Because of these inequities, there needs to be a stronger system for providing Bay Area students with opportunities to take these tests as students are currently sacrificing time, money, and comfort to comply with the college application procedures.