Signs of school returning to pre-pandemic normalcy have been visible in previous months; now, the SAT is another addition. For the second time since the pandemic, Redondo Union will host the SAT, this time in digital format, on June 1.
In March 2024, when College Board switched from physical to digital SATs, RBUSD test site coordinator and Executive Assistant of Administrative Services Jennifer Melgar was hesitant about reopening the school as a test center.
“I didn’t sign up [to host] any SATs after it went digital because I wasn’t sure how it was going to work and if it was something we would still be interested in hosting at the high school,” Melgar said.
She originally waited to host the digital SAT until the 2024-2025 school year, but then got a phone call and email from College Board on March 21. They requested for her to open Redondo as a test site for the June 1 SAT, as there was a need for additional test centers in the area. Melgar corresponded with Nest counselors, who lead the college-planning center on campus, and they reaffirmed that test spots were limited. Some students were planning to travel further than 50 miles to take the test, according to Melgar.
Junior Rihley Sims was one of the lucky few to secure a spot for the RUHS June SAT, but she originally planned to take the June 1 SAT at Los Alamitos, and signed up in February.
“Even [in February], I felt like it was too late because I was scared,” Sims said. “The SAT is already a stressful process and on top of that [we have to] drive far and be worried about the seats filling up fast.”
300 spots for the Redondo test site were opened on March 27, but spots were filled within two days. Melgar says it’s possible that more seats will open in the future as long as she can get more staff.
“The SAT and the ACT are for the public, and when we open as a test center, it’s not only for our high school,” Melgar said. “I would love it to be just our high school. I want to be selfish and say only our students can join. But at least I can inform [Redondo students] first about when [spots are] going to open.”
Redondo students benefit from the new location with reduced stress and less travel times, resulting in increased SAT registration. Junior Noah Elhardouzi was not signed up for, nor was he planning to take the SAT prior to the location announcement.
“I was putting it off and kept telling my mom that I didn’t need to do it. But when they [added the location], I signed up for the May 4 and June 1 ones,” Elhardouzi said. “It’s really convenient to have it at my own school; I’m familiar with it and it doesn’t make me as nervous as taking it at a [less familiar location].”
Despite the convenience for students, Melgar and the IT team were unsure if the school’s network could support 300 students on a variety of devices, however, IT confirmed that it can work and they will also have tech experts on-site on test day. The Bluebook app, where the digital SAT is run, was another point of concern for Melgar.
“I wanted to get feedback on how other schools in the nation were testing and if they were having issues, but so far, I’ve been hearing great things about [Bluebook],” Melgar said.
Fortunately, Redondo hosted a schoolwide PSAT in October, allowing the test coordinators to assess the strength of the internet connection and the quality of the Bluebook app. With high hopes, Melgar, along with testing students, look forward to the digital SAT being hosted on-campus.
“We’re excited to offer the digital SAT. This is going to be our first time for all of us. My proctors and I are excited to learn it together. And, I like that it’s an hour less for the students,” Melgar said.
