All high school juniors in the Sacramento City Unified School District will take the SAT this Wednesday, March 4. The 11th grade students will take the SAT at their high school campus, and Sac City Unified is covering the cost of the exam for all students.

“Ensuring that all students have the opportunity to take the SAT is an example of Sac City’s commitment to equity and access to college and career readiness for all students,” said Sac City Unified Superintendent Jorge Aguilar. “We want every Sac City student to have the widest range of opportunities after high school, and taking the SAT is an important college readiness factor. I encourage all of our high school juniors taking the SAT today to do their best on this exam.” 

Sac City Unified pays for the cost of SAT testing so that all students in the 11th grade can take the exam. This is the third year in a row that the district has covered the cost of SAT testing for all high school juniors.

Through its contract with College Board, SCUSD spends approximately $112,000 for SAT testing for 2,800 11th grade students.  The implementation of SAT testing for all juniors has significantly increased access to the SAT exam. Prior to 2017, just 24% of Sac City Unified students entering their senior year of high school  had an SAT score on file. In 2019, that percentage increased to 87% as a result of this effort. 

“We are leveling the playing field for students in making the SAT available during the school day for free,” said Sac City Unified Board President Jessie Ryan. “Removing this barrier to college eligibility by making it a district-wide opportunity sends a powerful message to our students that we know they have potential to achieve their college dreams.”   

Before taking the SAT, all 11th grade students will be offered breakfast in their classroom on Wednesday morning. The district is making breakfast available to students as part of a promotion of National School Breakfast Week. 

The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The SAT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test created and administered by the College Board. There are two SAT sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. The SAT also includes an optional Essay section.

The SAT is one measure that college admissions officers use to measure a high school student’s readiness for college. It provides colleges with a common data point that can be used to compare applicants. College admissions officers typically review SAT scores with students’ high school GPA, the courses students took in high school, and extracurricular activities.