Class of 2026 Sits for the SAT

When students think about standardized tests, none are quite as widely known – and detested – as the SAT. Because a number of colleges reversed test-blind or test-optional policies from the COVID era, the test now carries more weight than in recent years for many students. And as ever, SAT day at Walls has come. On March 26, the class of 2026 sat for the dreaded exam, but this article was written beforehand.

Melinda Ukeneru-Steve (‘26) felt like she had a “good foundation” going into the SAT, in part because of the variety of preparation methods she employed. Ukeneru-Steve used Khan Academy’s free SAT prep plan, bought the College Board SAT study guide, participated in Schoolhouse’s SAT bootcamp tutoring, watched YouTube videos about tips, took the SAT prep class at Walls, and had also sat for a prior SAT.

Although Khai Matsudaira (‘26) said he felt “pretty prepared,” he worried about the potential for error on the day of the test.

But not all juniors felt ready for the test. Wendell Lopez (‘26) said he didn’t “really feel prepared.” Lopez thought that if he had taken the SAT prep class, he might have felt more confident going into SAT day, but his studying mostly consisted of “reviewing my notebooks from last year or from this year.”

Taking a more targeted approach, Sophia Hernandez (‘26) decided to particularly hone in on math and algebra skills, citing how “It's been a while since I've taken it,” a problem for many Walls students who are a year or more ahead in math.

Last year, while DC did achieve 100% participation due to the DCPS policy requiring that students be able to take the SAT in school, the district also ranked below the national average. Yet, Walls represented a bright spot, as out of 51 schools that members of the Walls Class of 2024 had committed to when last year’s yearbook came out, the total average SAT score was 1400.

Students this year had a variety of target scores. Ukeneru-Steve said that an ideal score would be a “1600, but a realistic goal would be a 1540 or maybe a 1500 and above.” She hopes to achieve this through her increased focus on studying for this SAT compared to her previous attempt.

Lopez set a lower goal due to his level of preparation, hoping for a “1300 something” on this SAT.

Matsudaira also set a high goal at “1560, or higher.” He wanted to get a score of this caliber to build out a competitive college application and only planned to take the SAT again if he did not reach his goal.

Hernandez said before this year’s SAT day, “I hear a lot of people stressing out about [the SAT],” but wasn’t stressing as much herself because “It's test-optional at so many places, and you're able to retake it.”

For most, this was the first time these students took the SAT. Next fall, the Class of 2026 will take the SAT one more time, and students can opt to take the test outside of school if they are unhappy with their scores.