Hi College Confidential,
I had a couple of questions regarding taking the ACT next year as a junior. If I wanted to take the test in September, will I have problems because of the seniors impacted by COVID-19? For context, I live in the Hartford, CT area. And if I could get a spot in September, is that a good time to take the test? I could also take it in October or December.
If tests are going on in September, I wouldn’t see why there would be a problem. With more schools going test-optional, there will likely be less seniors sitting than if there weren’t any TO schools. Of course, there will likely be more seniors than normal testing, but I’m sure there’s been planning for that. September should be a fine time to take the test, since it allows for multiple test sessions later in the year if needed.
If you can get a seat, go for it.
I am not sure about the ACT, but everyone who was registered in the spring for the SAT already got first dibs on fall dates. So while it is nice of you to be concerned, what is open now is fair game for everyone. Plus the ACT and College Board said they would meet the demand, but presumably that won’t include last minute demand.
The only problem would be getting a seat at registration. I haven’t looked at ACT, but I know several schools in the area around here have no slots left for August and September SAT tests.
Fall Junior year is a good time to take ACT/SAT for the first time, assuming you’ve covered all of the material in coursework and can be well prepared. My D is deciding between October and November to study for SAT and PSAT at the same time.
What are the dates for ACT after July? Is the registration open after July test?
This is exactly why the current testing environment is so unfair to rising seniors. Many rising seniors have been unable to test at all, or unable to test a second time in an effort to increase their score. My daughter has been shut out since April and is still blocked from registering for the July test, even though the ACT refuses to answer their phone or explain why we are unable to register. No test dates are available yet for the fall and will not be until late July. If, as expected, test locations in the fall have reduced seating capacity, the only fair approach is to prioritize rising seniors for those seats. OTOH, I have given up expecting the ACT to do the right thing at this point.
Assuming that I could get a seat as a Junior, would I be prepared? I have taken a standard pre-calculus (A-) class and for english AP Language and Composition (A). Also, I have heard rumors about people being able to “delete” a score. How real is deleting a score and is it a common occurrence?
You may cancel a score within a few days of taking the test, usually if you got sick in the middle of the test or feel that you bombed it. Once you see your score it is far to late to “delete” it. Only a handful of colleges require you to send all scores, however, so you could retake it (or even part of it) and pick and choose which one to send.
Prepardness is difficult to judge, though pre-calc is sufficient. Take and score a practice test to decide whether you are ready to try the real thing.
If you have done pre-calc you are ready for the math section. The longer you wait the rustier your math will be.
@Groundwork2022 I know that you cannot delete an SAT score, only cancel. However, I came across this article that suggests deleting an ACT score may be possible: https://summitprep.com/deleting-act-scores/#:~:text=You%20may%20have%20heard%20the,from%20a%20student’s%20academic%20record.
I think it is good time to first try your ACT in junior if you are ready. I am rising junior, I took my first ACT in Jun-2020 and just received the result. The experience is quite good.