“Test-Optional” is Not For Everyone

 

As almost every college across the country has, smartly, adjusted their standardized testing requirements for the Class of 2021 (high school, college Class of 2025), students and parents are either jumping for joy at the “test-optional” admission requirement or scratching their heads. 

Are Harvard, Duke and Princeton REALLY not going to consider SATs and ACTs for admission?

Well, that’s what they’re saying and that’s what I want to believe, but there’s a wrinkle that you and your child need to consider.

If your child could have taken a standardized test before spring 2020 or if your child can still take one later in the fall - August (SAT), September...

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Testing Will Change Forever

Over a month ago, I released two blog posts about how standardized testing - the ACT and SAT specifically -- are changing given COVID. Test dates were being cancelled or postponed for much of the spring. As of today, the summer dates of June ACT and SAT have also been canceled and both agencies are looking into summer and fall alternatives.

What's Going on With Standardized Tests?

SAT and ACT Tests Are Being Canceled, Now What?

Uncertainty and fear rule our world right now, and to imagine a mass of teenagers crowding into a building to sit next to each other for three or more hours. To me, that sounds, well, dangerous. We have no idea who’s infected and who’s not, and even when we do...

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SAT and ACT Tests Are Being Canceled, Now What?

Many students in the class of 2021 are concerned about how they're going to be evaluated by colleges given the global pandemic and their SATs or ACTs possibly not being a part of their application. As of right now, most schools have not determined how they will handle this, but please know that colleges want to evaluate students based on their best selves. So if students don't have testing yet, they can in the fall, and we're hoping that we're all through this in the coming weeks or months.

Colleges understand that this is a stressful time. Remember, the administrators and admissions officers are all working from home and most likely are quarantined to some capacity too. What the next few months...

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