Colleges’ test-optional policies lack benefits to applicants

May 3, 2020

As News broke that many colleges are becoming test optional. While many students are celebrating the change, arguing that it will relieve pressure and increase their chances of getting into their dream schools, others are less enthusiastic.  These test-optional policies will ultimately work agai...

Colleges become test-optional, relieving students of excess stress

Rebecca Kanfer '21, Paper Sports Editor

April 20, 2020

As the 2020 college admissions year comes to a close, aspiring juniors look onward to their upcoming year of the Common Application and the College Board with one noticeable change. Standardized test scores have become unnecessary and furthermore optional with an application for numerous schools due...

ACT individual section retakes allow students to improve test scores

Tierney Kugel '22, Paper Arts Editor

October 23, 2019

Many high schoolers know the feeling of suffering through a long ACT test session, only to find out weeks later that they scored lower than expected. American College Testing, or the “ACT” is a three hour long test, consisting of four seprate sections, each focusing on a specific subject or skill ...

ACT test change allows students to retake individual exam sections

Emily Stone '20, Business Manager

October 12, 2019

The ACT announced Tuesday that students will be allowed to retake individual sections of the exam starting Sept. 2020. According to USA Today News, for a fee, students will be able to retake specific subjects where they did poorly. In the past, students would have to reregister, repay, and retake...

Dozens of people arrested in alleged college admissions scam

March 13, 2019

Emily Stone '20 Over four dozen people, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, have been charged in a nationwide college admission cheating scandal based off of evidence released by the FBI and US Attorney’s office. According to court records released on March 12, wealthy parents...

Test scores should not define future

Mia Daignault '20

November 27, 2018

2020 is the year I graduate, the year I pack up all my bags, and the year I begin my journey elsewhere. But 2018 is the year I prepare myself to choose where I want to begin that journey. This is the year I visit college counselors, guidance counselors and potential schools. But it’s hard to enjoy th...

Stop shoving tests down our throats

September 18, 2018

By Maya Brodows ’20   It’s early Saturday morning. Many people of the town remain blissfully asleep, whilst others enjoy the start to a great weekend. Some are playing with their young children, others are flipping pancakes. Yet, for juniors across the country, Saturdays have beco...

[Oct. 2016 Arts] Staples Players presents “The Music Man” for fall production

November 22, 2016

By Shaina Selvaraju ’17   This fall, Staples Players will perform the Tony Award winning musical, “The Music Man.” The musical centers on a con man named Harold Hill, played by Jacob Leaf ’17, who sells instruments to people in River City, Iowa with the promise that he will teach ...

Juniors left clueless about standardized testing

November 11, 2016

Junior year equals the year of standardized testing and preparing for college. Basically, it equals a year of stress on top of stress on top of stress. And unless you have older siblings or particularly involved parents, it’s common for students to have no clue what they’re in for. Coming from...

Preconceived notions manifest a stigma against junior year

Emma Greenberg, Opinions editor

June 10, 2016

Though junior year seems fun considering the dances, driver's licenses, class options and freedoms. I’ve heard many things contradicting the “perks” that are to come as a sophomore about to enter her junior year. All I hear about prom is that it’s a nightmare when it comes to getting everyone...

There’s only one thing worse than taking the ACT

Alice Hickson, Web A&E Editor

October 25, 2015

I had a plan. On September 12, 2015 I was going to knock the ACT out of my life and finally reach the shining light at the end of an extremely long tunnel filled with what felt like non stop test preparation. I woke up at 6:30 A.M. and after a quick caffeine stop at Dunkin Donuts, I was on my way...

Students prepare for the ACT

Julia Rosier, Staff Writer

October 25, 2015

As the ACT fast approaches, juniors and seniors have been preparing and studying. The ACT is a standardized test that is given multiple times throughout the year, which students can take as many times as they please. Danny Jersey ’17 took the ACT Sept. 12 and prepared two months in advance to the te...

New PSAT prompts mixed reactions

Renee Weisz, Staff Writer

October 19, 2015

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, the redesigned PSAT/NMSQT was administered for the first time to juniors and sophomores both at Staples and nationally. The PSAT was conducted  in preparation for the redesigned SAT beginning in March of 2016.   According to the College Board, key changes include a 30-minute extension to total ...