By Megha Poddar ’15, News Editor

As spring nears, a new buzz begins to fill the halls of the Academy—the testing buzz. Often, the final months of school are marked by high stress as students prepare methodically for standardized testing. In addition to AP and IB required tests for those students enrolled in the corresponding classes, college-bound students, traditionally Juniors, must also master the demands of the SAT or ACT. Many times, the amount of preparation students do outside of class is overlooked. This can mean everything from making a deck of 500 vocabulary flashcards to hiring private tutors for one-on-one attention in a certain subject matter and enrolling in month-long preparation classes that meet weekly. At the same time, however, students at Newark Academy are not all equal—some of us, more than others, can afford extra modes of preparation.

At the Academy, it is clear that students take testing quite seriously. Based on a survey given to the current junior class, more than half of the grade has already sought out extra help to prepare for the spring testing dates for the ACT and SAT. Nicholas Murray, a junior who plans to take the ACT in April, explains, “A lot of the preparation really deals with learning how to take the test. We are already well equipped to answer questions because of Newark Academy’s academic curriculum.” Murray echoes the sentiment among many students who have taken standardized tests. Anna Hope Emerson, a sophomore who is signed up to take the AP United States History exam in May, adds, “Tons of my peers and classmates have bought at least two review books, if not more, for the exam. We try to help each other out by making copies of our books and sharing them with each other.”

Often times, deeper preparation outside of the classroom requires money to cover the costs. In fact, some SAT/ACT private tutors have fees of $100 per hour. While other modes of preparation, like group classes and review materials, may be less costly, parents and students can find themselves paying a lot of money to ensure success when test day arrives. Obviously, the income disparity at the Academy yields a situation where some students may be better prepared for testing because of their family’s ability to pay. When asked about the topic, Mrs. Shapiro, Director of College Counseling, highlighted, “Our office tries our best to ensure that students have access to whatever help they need for preparation. Every college counselor personally helps students when they come across a money-related obstacle.” Mrs. Shapiro added that, “It is harder for some students than for others, make no mistake. However, in a community like this, everyone has a support system consisting of their peers and teachers.”

For the whole school, the next few months are bound to be filled with anxiety as national testing dates near; however, if there is one thing the Newark Academy community can do to alleviate that sense of stress, it is to be as helpful and positive as possible to fellow peers and classmates.