The senior participation rate skyrocketed from 69.7% to 79.7% to be the fifth highest in the county and the average score went up 74 points from 1487 to 1561. Says principal Carole Goodman, "I was not surprised to see such a positive bump in the scores… This is a fabulous class with a lot of very high achieving and very hard working students."

Adds senior Beth Brown, "A lot of students started preparing in 10th grade with PSAT/SAT prep courses, and you can tell from their scores that their proactivity paid off."

2009’s higher participation and scores can be attributed to a number of resources available to students. With in- and out-of-school SAT prep courses, the Mock SAT, and the help of college counselor Kathy Moore, seniors were wellprepared for what many think to be high school’s scariest test.

"Since getting into college is a lot more competitive these days," adds senior Monica Johnson, "students are working extra hard to increase their scores and be at the top of their class."

Some students, however, still choose to take it only one time. Says senior Stephen Klingner, "I was decently happy enough with my score that when connected with all my other accomplishments I didn’t need to take it again."

For the remaining 20.3% of the senior class, taking the SAT is not the end-all, be-all of a successful future. Says SAT Coordinator Moriah Martin, "Some students don’t take the SAT because they are going to the military and/or work—it is certainly acceptable for those students not to take the SAT. However, I advise students that if they are interested in college at all, they should at least take the mock tests to see which test [SAT or ACT] would fit them best."

Adds Mrs. Goodman, "Some years you get a nice bump up, and some years with comparable effort, the scores might go down. But right now, I am enjoying the positive trend and thank the class of 2009 for doing such a good job making us look good."