Hey all! Quick question, I've been saying SAT to my parents and they keep asking what it stands for, and I'm not quite sure myself. Can anyone clarify what SAT stands for? Thanks!
Sure thing! The SAT originally stood for "Scholastic Aptitude Test.", created to measure student readiness for college. The name was later changed to "Scholastic Assessment Test", and then to "SAT Reasoning Test". Today, it's often simply referred to as the SAT and the acronym doesn’t formally stand for anything.
The SAT assesses your knowledge in areas like reading comprehension, mathematics, and writing. As of spring 2024, when it became digital, the SAT lasts for approximately 134 minutes (not including breaks), and it consists of a Reading and Writing section and a Math section. This test is used by many colleges and universities during their admissions process to evaluate academic readiness for college.
Keep in mind, not every college requires the SAT so it's good to research each school's policy. Some schools are test-optional, meaning you can choose whether to submit your scores, while others are test-required. For the 2024-2025 application cycle, for example, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Purdue University, Brown University, Yale University, The University of Texas at Austin, and California Institute of Technology are some of the schools that require all applicants to submit either an SAT or ACT score. It's key to know what your schools of choice require!
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