Over the past year, SAT participation has grown in both Montgomery County and RM.

In the Montgomery County Class of 2009, 80% of students participated in the SATs, compared to 50% nationwide. This year, there was a 4% overall increase in SAT participation in Montgomery County. In RM, there was a 4.6% increase in the participation rate, meaning participation among students has grown to 77.1%.

Ms. Hull, from the Career Center, states that “the SAT is a major factor in college admissions, so as schools become more competitive, people know that they have more of an edge with a better score.

Student opinion mirrors this sentiment. Junior Anna Opryszko believes that “a good SAT score determines whether or not [I am] accepted into the college of [my] choice.”

There was a 5.5% increase in SAT participation among African American students, a 2.9% increase among Hispanic students and a 3.7% increase among Asian American students. There are still disparities in the participation rates among students of different ethnic backgrounds. The Montgomery County SAT participation rates among white and Asian American students are 84.4% and 89.2%, respectively.

As SAT participation has grown, mean SAT scores have continued to change. The mean combined score of African American students in Montgomery County has increased by 20 points, from 1336 in 2008 to a 1356 in 2009. The average score of Asian American students has increased from 1720 to 1748. However, the mean SAT combined scores for White and Hispanic students have decreased. The mean score for Hispanic students dropped from 1401 in 2008 to 1398 in 2009, while the score for White students declined from 1740 to 1733.

As the importance of SAT scores in college admissions grows, the pressure to score well also grows. Students experience anxiety and stress, as senior Daniel Keaton knows all too well. “I felt a lot of pressure to be successful. Everything comes down to how well you did on the SAT.”