September 30, 2024
Why Are Some Students Traveling Hundreds of Miles to Take the SAT?
By Evan Robins
Within minutes of registration opening for the test, every seat in my county and throughout Northern California was already reserved. I wasn’t alone.
(Joe Raedle / Getty)
In Northern California, securing a spot to take the SAT feels like winning the lottery. Despite California State University and the University of California no longer requiring students to submit scores when applying, there is a severe scarcity of available testing sites in the Bay Area.
As a result, students are forced to make long-distance journeys to take the exam, turning an already stressful process into a logistical nightmare.
Dora Yang, a junior at Burlingame High School, found herself staying overnight in a Dallas, Texas motel, her mind racing with anxiety about the 8 AM exam the next day. Other students said they have traveled four hours to Fresno, California and six hours to Santa Barbara, California just to sit for the test.
