College Admissions Tests

Obviously, the pandemic has impacted everything connected to school, but it has also created lots of craziness in the college admissions application process.  One of the big areas of impact from COVID-19 is the fact that the April, May and June test administrations of the ACT and SAT have been cancelled.  As of now, the July ACT test date is still scheduled to happen on July 18th, but if you plan on taking that test, please know that TODAY is the registration deadline!

There is an SAT coming up on August 29th (registration deadline July 31st), an ACT on September 14th (registration deadline August 16th), an SAT on September 26th (registration deadline August 26th), an SAT on October 3rd (yes, that is really just 1 week after the September SAT date), and there is also an October 26th ACT and a November 7th SAT which are in your admissions cycle.  However, you need to be aware that the October 26th and November 7th test dates may not be able to count for early decision/ early action deadlines - it depends on the college's stance on that.

Speaking of things that depend on the college's stance.  You are likely hearing that there are a lot of colleges who are currently switching to test optional for the Class of 2021.  This is a great option if you are a strong student and you haven't been able to repeat the test to get test scores that are comparable to the rest of your academic competitiveness profile.  Not all colleges will allow you to skip the test scores (like OSU is still requiring test scores to be submitted), but earlier this week there was an announcement that Ohio University is switching to test optional not just for the Class of 2021, but for all future years.

If your GPA makes you appear to be a borderline student then you may want to be able to use your test scores to be able to show the college that you are more academically talented than your grades might show.  And, if that is the case, I will remind you that you have been out of the traditional school/ testing format for a while now and doing some practice would definitely be worth your time and energy to better prepare for whichever college admissions test you plan on taking.

As you are working on preparing for the ACT/ SAT please know that there are lots of free options - including reviewing your Pre-ACT results, your PSAT results, looking at and taking sample questions and tests online, utilizing the ACT/ SAT websites and of course through Khan Academy.

There are also many different tutors available in the Central Ohio area who are committed to helping students prepare for the tests.  We have featured their information on the Counselor Website and it is attached.  Please know that these links include both individual and group test prep providers.

The organizations that facilitate the ACT and SAT frequently explain that the best preparation for the tests is to challenge yourself by taking on a rigorous curriculum during high school.  So, the reality is that every day, with every class you take, you are preparing for these exams.  However, that doesn’t mean that additional preparation wouldn’t be helpful.

Remember though, signing up to take the test is a critical step so don't miss your deadlines!