Your SAT score isn’t just for colleges.

The switch from ACT to SAT has changed many things in the state of Kentucky.

Recently, most juniors in Kentucky have taken the March SAT and most sophomores have taken the PSAT. Parking at Bullitt East has also been a significant source of dispute, as the seniors leaving are also leaving their front spots behind. However, the spot you get is determined by your SAT score, and some juniors are not happy about it.

The shift from the ACT to the SAT is a major pivot for Kentucky high schoolers, as the state has officially transitioned to the SAT as its primary college readiness assessment. This change means that for the first time, juniors across the state are taking the March SAT during school hours, a slot traditionally held by the ACT. This switch has messed with many juniors, as it means their previous test-taking strategies and knowledge for the ACT are essentially in the gutter.

“I got an 18 as an ACT score and a 950 on my SAT- so my scores are about even, and I didn’t benchmark in math on either,” Haley Durbin, a junior at Bullitt East, said.

The pressure of the SAT shift is only magnified by the current physical state of the Bullitt East campus. With ongoing construction projects claiming large sections of the pavement, the total number of available parking spaces has hit a critical low. Businesses around have taken notice of the new coming cars taking up their spaces in the morning and have begun to threaten to tow these students. 

The opening of spots once the seniors graduate, however, is a bright side to this chaos. But more than just the student body is changing; the way the parking spots are decided will be different next year as well.

Administration has decided to use a student’s SAT scores to determine where they park. The rule is that if a student has a 1200 or above on the recent March SAT, they get to pick where they park. 

“I got a bit over 1200 on my SAT, so I got to pick a spot really close to the CCC doors,” junior Owen Schneider said.

This thought has caused much frustration among many students, especially those with high ACT scores or students who have just barely missed the cutoff. Many are disappointed that they had no knowledge of this happening, no warning. It could even have been used as an incentive or motivation for many.

“I feel like they should’ve said something beforehand to juniors so they maybe would’ve tried harder on the exam,” junior Sadie Smith said.

This policy has transformed the March SAT from a simple college entrance exam into a gatekeeper, sparking a heated debate over whether a test score should define a student’s daily access to their own school.