26 May College Test Prep
Standardized testing may be only one component of the college application process, but it is often the most stress-inducing. In pre-COVID times, students needed to develop a testing strategy that included deciding which tests to take – the ACT or SAT, with or without the writing section – and, depending on their college list, the SAT Subject Tests – and a testing schedule that gave ample time for studying and retaking tests. Students also needed to keep informed about changes the ACT had planned for the fall of 2021 – the opportunity to take section retests – and whether that affected their testing strategy. And then came COVID: the cancellation of testing dates, the implementation of modified AP tests at home, and an enormous number of colleges going test-optional in light of all the testing uncertainty. Despite the growing number of test-optional colleges, students need to remember that test-optional does not mean test-blind. Students who have already taken an ACT or SAT, and received a score with which they are happy, are well-advised to submit those scores. Moreover, because of the uncertainty as to when, and under what conditions, the ACT and SAT will next be administered, students should continue with their test preparation plans. The linked article from U.S. News is a great resource library to help students keep up-to-date on what is happening with ACT and SAT tests, and the article from Applerouth Testing explains the changes that the ACT had planned for the fall of 2020 (but which may be postponed in light of COVID).