For the first time in JCPS history, all 11th grade students took the SAT instead of the ACT. On Wednesday, March 11th juniors at Atherton sat for the SAT for the very first time in history. On June 30 2025, Kentucky switched from the ACT to the SAT as the states contract expired with the ACT. For years, many high school students have prepared for college admissions by taking the ACT. But as things change, a growing number of students are sitting down to take the SAT for the very first time.

This transition presents both challenges and opportunities for students. Charlie Stephen (11) expressed her feelings on the assessment.

“I didn’t enjoy the SAT at all, it was moderately hard and just overall challenging,” Stephen said.

Noah Fossett (11) feelings were the opposite.

“I enjoy the SAT way more than the ACT because in my experience it’s just been way easier and overall easier to study for,” Fossett said.

This sentiment is common amongst many students. Many students that have taken the PSAT have been exposed to the testing structure the SAT has and felt more prepared.

This time around, all junior students took time out of their week to prepare for the SAT by doing Journey to Success. By doing this, students worked on test questions they had problems with

and learned about the test format.

Sophie Dearner (11) exclaimed that she felt more prepared.

“When going into the test I felt very confident that I’d been prepared well,” Dearner said.

In the end, most students agreed that the experience helped them grow. Switching tests allowed them to push themselves into thinking differently and become more adaptable.