It is not uncommon at Staples to see students as young as sophomores getting tutoring for standardized testing.

Test culture has changed significantly in the past 20 years. Particularly after the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, which mandated testing in all 50 states.

Latin teacher Perry Tavenner explains his personal experience with the SAT and how the test was insignificant in comparison to today, and the preparations were almost nonexistent.

“I didn’t study at all personally. Most of my friends studied a little bit, but there were no tutors or programs,” Tavenner said. “There was no weight on scores; it wasn’t something people thought about that much. It was there and people worked on it, but it was more of a matter of what you knew.”

As times have changed, the ACT/SAT have created whole careers devoted to preparations and tutoring for the tests.

For Hannah Clemens ’24, test prep was not even a question. Being a recruited rower, Clemens had coaches asking for scores the summer going into her junior year.

“I felt pressure to start early so I could […] focus on my classes junior year,” Clemens said. “My top schools asked for scores really early on.”

The story is the same for most Staples students who feel the pressure of standardized testing combined with typical stresses of a junior year course load and extracurriculars.

Even as an underclassman, Charlie Bowman ’25 has a plan for his test prep, beginning this summer.

“I’m taking both the SAT and ACT this summer; I’ll see which one I’m better at, then start tutoring right after,” Bowman said.

The change in standardized testing since previous generations creates an environment in Westport where students begin their preparations earlier and earlier. For some students, the buzz from peers beginning preparation is enough for them to get started, even as early as freshman year.

“I’m planning on starting tutoring,” Eric Skolnick ’26 said.  “Other people do it so I probably should.”