Parents and high school students always ask us how important are the ACTs and SATs?
My answer....VERY!!!! Colleges rarely admit this in public. That's not to say that a super high score is necessary, but it's more than likely that your child will need to take it. Your son or daughter should be willing to give up a few Saturday mornings as a small sacrifice to make their future great.
How many times should he/she take the test?
The standard answer is at least twice.
When should they start taking the tests?
Increasingly, I am recommending that students take a diagnostic ACT and SAT at the end of sophomore year (June) or at the beginning of junior year (August).
What score should my kid aim for?
Your child needs to do the best they can do. They need to prepare with...
Make Sure Your Kid Meets Deadlines
11th and 10th-grade students (and sometimes 9th) often take PSAT in October. Make sure your school registers them by: this Wednesday, September 15th
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/k12-educators/psat-nmsqt-dates
The Fall ACT and SAT are often taken by seniors who need one or two more cracks at it.
October ACT registration date is: September 17, 2021
October ACT test date: October 23, 2021
December ACT registration date: November 5, 2021
December ACT test date: December 11, 2021
November SAT registration date: October 8, 2021
November SAT test date: November 6, 2021
December SAT registration date: November 4, 2021
December SAT test date: December 4, 2021
...
What Does Test-Optional Mean for Students?
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...
What's Going on With Standardized Tests?
Within the last year, more and more colleges and universities have dropped requirements for standardized tests. The ACT and the College Board, which is the SAT, have been around forever and they are cemented in how we think about college admissions and what schools are the best. As someone who did not test well as a teenager and someone works with students who have a range of scores, I am always conflicted about how to gauge or share information about these powerful pieces to the admissions puzzle.
I’m glad that many schools such as Trinity College in CT, Bucknell in Pennsylvania, Indiana University and many others are actually becoming test-optional and not requiring the tests, however, the...
