Dear high school students & parents, we are in the midst of uncharted terrain right now when it comes to schools closing, remote learning, & planning ahead for college.

But there’s no need to light any emergency flares, because here’s a handy road map of where things are headed with the SAT, ACT, & College Applications so that you can avoid any blind spots & potholes & navigate through standardized tests & applications on cruise-control.

SAT

1. The SAT & SAT Subject Tests through June have been cancelled.

The College Board cancelled the May 20, 2020 SAT exam & just announced that the SAT & SAT Subject Tests scheduled for June 6th are cancelled as well because “[e]ncouraging students to gather in June would not be safe for students and the academic administrators involved.”

The PSATs scheduled for April have also been cancelled.

2. The soonest you can take the SAT is in August – but there’s a priority list.

If you want to take the SAT, please pencil in the following dates for exams:
August 29
October 3
November 7
December 5

Early access to registration for the August, September, & October SATs will be given to students in the class of 2021 who don’t yet have SAT scores & to those who were already registered for the June exam.

3. If schools don’t open in the fall, the SAT will be offered digitally.

In the event that schools don’t open in the fall, the SAT will be offered digitally. Yes, you read that correctly. They will offer the test to be taken remotely from home.

ACT

4. The last ACT of the school year has been cancelled.

The ACT has postponed its April 4, 2002 exam & rescheduled it for June.

Students who registered for the April exam will be able to reschedule for a future exam at no additional charge.

5. The ACT will offer a range of dates for testing in June & July.

The ACT will allow students “Flexible Scheduling” to take the June exam between June 13 -20 & July 18-25.

6. You can take the ACT at home later this year.

In addition to the September, October, & December ACT test dates, the ACT will offer a “remote proctoring option” for the ACT in the fall or winter of this year. This is a huge step – you will actually be able to take this standardized exam from home.

7. The ACT will be revamped in 3 major ways in September 2020.

Starting in the fall of this year, the ACT rules will change to allow for:

  • Retesting.
    You will be able to retake any or all of the math, science, English, reading, and/or writing sections to improve your overall ACT score.
  • Superscoring.
    Your ACT score will be a “superscore” – the average score from multiple test attempts for all retests on the ACT.
  • Faster results.
    If you take the ACT online, you only need to hold your breath for only 2 business days for the results to come in. If you take the exam on paper, you will have to bite your nails for 2-8 weeks before finding out your score.

Impact On College Admissions

8. Many colleges & universities are waiving the ACT & SAT component for the Fall 2021 class.

UCLA, UCI, UC Berkeley, & all other University of California schools will be “suspending the standardized test requirement for students applying for fall 2021 freshman admission.”

Also in California, Pitzer College, Chapman University, the California State University system, & California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, San Francisco State University, Santa Clara University, University of La Verne, University of San Francisco, & Whittier College are among the many schools that have also waived the SAT/ ACT as an admissions requirement in fall 2021.

A comprehensive & evolving list of colleges & universities that have dropped the standardized testing requirement can be found here.

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As David Bowie says, that was a lot of ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Luckily, we’ve got you covered on how to stay ahead of the pack & be poised to deftly handle the sharp turns & speed bumps surrounding the SAT, ACT, & college applications.

Here are some resources to help you kick your SAT, ACT, & college admission game plan into high gear:

  • Khan Academy has partnered with the College Board to offer free SAT test preparation. Start studying here.
  • The ACT offers free practice test questions for the English, Writing, Reading, Math, & Science sections here.
  • Join us for free online office hours for help with our top tutors while schools are closed. Sign up here.
  • Book a one-on-one online session with one of our tutors who specialize in test preparation & college applications. We guarantee you’ll love your first session or it’s free.

Best of luck, friends, as you channel your inner Robert Frost & maneuver through this road not taken. Enjoy the ride!

With Gratitude,
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