Bridgman High School
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9964 Gast Road, Bridgman, MI 49106 Phone (269) 465-6848 Fax (269) 466-0355
June 8th, 2015
Dear Parent/Guardian:
As you may know, the State of Michigan has selected the Scholastic Aptitude Test, commonly referred to as the SAT, for the
college entrance exam portion of the Michigan Merit Exam, beginning with the class of 2017. Up until now, the ACT
(American College Test) was part of the state testing, and the test given emphasis in the state of Michigan. Over the next
couple of years, there will be a learning curve as we transition from one style of exam to the next. Please accept this letter as
our way to begin the conversation with you and your student, concerning expectations, updates, and information regarding the
new testing guidelines.
What do we know about the SAT?
 We know that your student will take the SAT in the spring of their junior year of high school; date will be determined
by the state.
 We know that every college and university in Michigan will accept the scores from the SAT, just like they did the
ACT. As we transition over to the SAT over the next of couple years, we encourage your student to take both the ACT
and SAT, as they may be more successful on one test or the other depending on their skill set.
o Students can sign-up to take the ACT on their own at www.actstudent.org; tests are given on Saturdays at
many locations locally. If your student qualifies for free/reduced lunch, the counseling office can provide ACT
fee waivers to cover the cost of the test.
 We know that the SAT is redesigned meaning that it’s a new test altogether and everyone is learning it. Please note, the
new test will be launched in March of 2016, so any SAT test dates prior will be the older format.
 We are planning to have the junior class take the newly redesigned PSAT (practice SAT) in the fall to prepare them for
the new SAT in the spring.
 The College Board is working with the Khan Academy to provide free individual strategies and study plans based on
students’ PSAT scores or Khan Academy assessments, which are built into the Khan website.
There are many resources available for you and your student to become familiar with the test. Please take some time to visit the
following websites:
 The College Board
www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/student-parent
 The Khan Academy
www.khanacademy.org/sat
We look forward to working with you and your student, as we learn together the nuances of the redesigned SAT exam. Please
do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.
Sincerely,
Keri Haskins, School Counselor
Chris Machiniak, Principal
“Together, Challenging our Children to Succeed”
North Central Association Accredited Grades K-12