Every day for the past two weeks, another college has announced that they will be test-optional for the high school graduating class of 2022. If you have a junior, you’re probably wondering, “should they take the SAT or ACT?” For many students, the answer is, yes – you should at least consider taking the tests. Whether or not the scores should be or will be submitted depends on a variety of factors. 

Test-optional policies are an opportunity for you, your child and your college counselor to decide if and how a standardized test can best support your child’s application. Scores can be withheld if they will not help. However, by not taking the test at all, students...

2020 is a global horror show. You know this already because you’re living it, but what if your kid is headed to college or about to apply to college. Rightfully so, you have a ton of questions and concerns. You’re asking yourself “should my kid go?”; “is it safe?”;  and “how are they going to evaluate my child without an ACT or SAT?” Necessary questions with no obvious answers. 

What I do know, however, is that the ACT and the SAT (Collegeboard) are struggling to make testing even an option for many families. While I’m glad that they’re prioritizing health and canceling the administrations, they need to do so sooner -- like...

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...

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...