AHS hosts PSATs and college fair

Freshmen, sophomores and juniors scattered off into their W2 classes on Oct. 15 to take the PSAT, the practice test that would help them prepare for the SAT test. A great amount of significance is given to the PSAT as the school day is shortened by three hours and seniors take the day off. The school day ended at 11:00 a.m. According to collegeboard.com, the Practice Standardized Assessment Test is a test that provides first-hand practice for the SAT reasoning test. It also gives juniors a chance to become part of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation program.


The PSAT measures the reading, math and writing skills of the students taking the exam. The website says that one cannot generally study for the PSAT because it is based on technique and skills rather than specific facts learned in school. Sophomore Adrienne Williams said she did not prepare for the test because she believes she only needs to “hit the books” for the actual SAT. Most freshmen that were interviewed for this article agreed that it is not something to get nervous about, but some students had a different perspective. “I’m nervous about taking my first PSAT,” said freshman Haley Brown.


After finishing the exam, students rushed out of their classrooms to catch the bus. “It wasn’t as hard as I’d expected, but taking the PSAT reassures me about taking the SAT,” said sophomore Kelly Hughes. As for the few students who stayed behind on the early-release day, they headed for the cafeteria where the mini-college fair was being hosted. Colleges such as Colorado State, University of Alabama, and even Hawaii Pacific University sent representatives to inform the students that their college was the best choice for them. Katie Gleeson of Colorado State said that her college attracts people from all 50 states and 75 different countries.


“Lots of people are interested in our school because we are one of the most ‘green’ schools in the country and will be 100% wind powered by 2015,” said Gleeson.
Pam Goldman of Longwood University said that students like her division one school because of the “intimate community and friendly people.” With 3,800 undergraduates on campus and virtually no traffic, the college is the town. “Our average GPA is a 3.1 to 3.6 and SAT scores range from 1010 to 1250,” said Goldman.


Junior Gwen Kennedy attended the college fair, gave out her information to multiple mailing lists and enjoyed her experience. “I learned about a few more colleges that I’m now interested in,”  said Kennedy. “However, there weren’t as many Virginia schools as I’d hoped there would be.” George Mason, Virginia Tech, William and Mary, James Madison, and University of Virginia were all unaccounted for at the function. “I didn’t get to hear from my top choices,” said Kennedy.


After the fair was over, most students agreed that the representatives for the colleges were helpful in researching the average standards expected of each school.