Professional tutors, thick prep books and countless hours of study sessions: each year the juniors prepare heavily for the ACT, with some students taking it multiple times in an attempt to get that perfect score.

But that all may change this year. The state of Illinois has recently signed a deal with the College Board, which administers the SAT instead of the ACT.

The change comes with short notice, with the possibility of juniors being required to take the SAT as early as this spring.

“I wouldn’t mind [the change] if we had enough notice, meaning a full year after the year they propose it. Right now, as far as we are informed, Illinois has dropped the ACT for the SAT,” Chung Baker, guidance counselor, said.  “But we have no budget. I don’t know how they expect us to take care of that between planning, organizing and paying for it so I have no idea what we will be doing this spring with our current junior class.”

At this point, administration doesn’t know the testing schedule for the SAT or if it will be paid for by the state.

“It won’t surprise me at all if at the last minute we decide we have to [give the SAT] and then have to let all our current juniors know about it,” Ms. Baker said.

The practicality of the decision has also been called into question.

“All colleges in the U.S. will take the ACT. Not all colleges require the SAT and that’s where we’re at a crossroads,” Ms. Baker said.

Taking the SAT, even if it was given by the school for free, could be completely pointless for some students. Many of EHS seniors are accepted into colleges in the surrounding Midwest states. The University of Missouri and Purdue University, for example, do not require the SAT and will accept ACT scores.

“For most Midwest students, we do the ACT. So unless you apply to an East Coast school, or some West Coast schools specifically requiring the SAT, you really don’t need it. So I feel mixed about that, because it’s not as relevant to Illinois students,” Ms. Baker said.

If District 7 adopts the change, it could drastically affect the way students have to prepare. Illinois, along with most of the Midwest, has used the ACT as their main standardized test for 15 years.

“We have no idea at this point. It took years for teachers to know what ACT wanted,” English Department Head Heather Haskins said.

Teachers are largely unprepared for teaching the intricacies of the SAT. The SAT has only reading, writing and math, while the ACT also includes science. The test is also structured differently, but the curriculum at EHS should hold up.

“One thing that’s important is that our curriculum prepares [students] to think,” Ms. Haskins said. “And overall, that’s what all of these tests look for.”