The SAT test is a very important test for students looking to be accepted into college. It is recommended that students take the SAT test at least once. Many students, however, may decide to retake the test several times to improve from their previous scores. Most of the students enrolling in the camp have not taken College Math Concepts or College English Concepts, but still seek extra help on the side without having to meet privately with tutors. A higher SAT score may mean the difference between being accepted or rejected from a student’s number one choice.

Mrs. Tiffany Hummel, high school principal, had the idea to start the bootcamp. English teacher, Mrs. Maria Malek, has done SAT tutoring individually before, but this is a way to offer tips, tricks and hints to the student body on a larger scale. The camp costs 40 dollars to participate. To prepare for the test, Mr. William Rhoads, math teacher, and Mrs. Malek, provide extra time, help and information. Their goal is to guide students through the test taking process.

Mr. William Rhoads runs the math side of the bootcamp. He practices math problems with the students and they look at the structure of the test. He also offers test-taking strategies and tips.

“I think any student who is going to go to college is going to need to understand how the SAT test is set up. The more you understand about how it is set up and the way they ask the questions, the better your scores will be and the better chance you have of getting into a school of your choice or even getting money,” said Mr. Rhoads.

Mrs. Malek focuses on the verbal component of the exam. “Most of the students are pretty good with the reading passages because it’s the same content that they do with the Keystones. However, a lot of the language and grammar skills have not been gone over since middle school, so I think that’s one of the key places that our SAT students need to brush up on.”

The last time the camp was offered, it was sold out with around 25 students. For the next one on February 23, there are still over 10 spots available. Any student can sign up by consulting Mrs. Hummel or visiting the guidance office.  

“Most colleges still require SAT scores for admission. A lot of scholarships are dependent on SAT scores as well. So if we can help our students feel a little bit more confident going into the SAT’s – because they’re really a very high stakes type of exam – that kind of confidence usually transfers over into better scores,” Malek said.