Olivia Hanigan
Sugar Beet staff reporter
For the first time in the school’s history, Garden City High School will be offering a free ACT test to all juniors and seniors who have not yet taken the exam.
The ACT is a standardized test designed for high schoolers across the country, serving as a basis for many scholarships and is one of the most important factors colleges consider when reviewing applications. This opportunity for high school came directly from the Kansas government.
“The Kansas State Legislature appropriated funds for the test to be administered for free to all Juniors and any Seniors who had not taken it before in the state of Kansas. The state commissioner of education, Randy Watson encouraged all schools within the state to take advantage of the opportunity to offer the ACT for free,” Jenny Hands, an administrator involved with the free ACT, said.
Currently GCHS has about 570 students signed up for the exam. For most students, the opportunity was too great to pass up.“I wanted to improve my score and was planning on taking the February one anyway, but when I heard about the free one I knew it was a great opportunity,
” Megan Cady, a trade and health academy sophomore, said. Most high school educators say the ACT is one of the most important decisions a high school student can make. “The ACT is a nationally recognized college entrance exam. Most four-year universities have a certain ACT score as one of their entrance requirements. In addition, most universities have standing scholarships that apply to every student based on their ACT score.
Taking the ACT and earning a strong score can open the door to post-secondary education opportunities that may not have been an option prior to having a score,” Hands said. The Kansas State Legislature has promised funds for the free ACT for the next three years, but this year will likely be the only year it is offered to seniors who have not yet taken the test. Brenda Ortiz, a senior taking the ACT, said she hopes this is the last time she has to take the exam. “I definitely wanna be done after this but I guess it just depends on how happy I am with my score,” Ortiz said. The test will be offered here at the high school on February 20, and the make up date for those who couldn’t be here the 20th will be March
Olivia Hanigan is a trade and health academy junior. You can contact her at hanigano@student.gckschools.com.
Garden City High School 