Hello! Rising senior here! As many of you probably know, due to COVID-19, some universities are starting to not require the SAT/ACT for the upcoming year. I was wondering, will this negatively impact those students who had already taken the SAT and were actually looking forward to submitting their scores to the schools they are applying to? Or does it really impact (either negatively or positively) their admission chances at such schools?
If you have a good score, submit it. Many schools are already test optional; I don’t see it impacting kids with good scores either way. I think having a score is better for merit purposes, at schools that give merit.
My DD21 has not taken any SAT/ACT. The plan was to take SAT during school in March. We registered for the June test last month. It was canceled. Her windows of opportunity is getting small. Almost 50% of schools on her list still have not declared test optional. We are in the waiting game. We could technically apply for the August test. Would really not prefer to test in Sept and Oct. because she considers double degree in Music Performance. Sept. and Oct. test will get in the way of prescreening prep…
My son was scheduled to take the June test and we received an email upon its cancellation that he would be given priority for the August test date. I’m not holding out hope that it will happen then, either, but I would recommend signing up for the August test date ASAP as I believe they will have more demand for that test date than can be accommodated. You can always cancel …
The ACT hasn’t been cancelled for June, yet. They also are testing in July. Maybe that is an option for your kids?
Wouldn’t this mean that universities will then heavily decide based on your GPA instead?
@pendoo yes, and the rigor of your schedule.
For kids who have planned (and studied) to take the SAT, to pivot now to the ACT, which also may not happen, is not reasonable. Also, the differences in the ACT may not make it preferable to certain students.
My daughter has also not taken either the ACT/SAT both were cancelled. I have not rescheduled her for the June or July ACT yet as both are not offered in great locations now. I am figuring in our location. Montco PA they will be cancelled anyway. Hoping to take online in the fall.
If your score is good, it certainly isn’t going to hurt your options.
We are curious to see how schools that offer merit for GPA/Test Score combination will handle this fall’s merit advertising, especially since finances will be tight at many schools.
D21 is scheduled to take the ACT in June. Their FB page says the test date is still a go, unless the host location will not or cannot host.
There’s always a lot of folks saying that the tests are optional. But if a student has strong scores there is zero-reason not to submit. My kids high school has asked students to be kind and allow Seniors to test first so they can get the slots in the Fall.
I think schools will be more lenient this year. But a kid with a super high SAT and GPA from a small school is going to do far better-submitting scores. If a kid comes from a large school and has a high-class ranking that might replace the need for the scores a little bit. Many schools don’t do rankings so kids need the stats to prove they can manage a top school.
For example, Joe Smo from a small private high school X, has a 1550 and 4.0 GPA from with 100 kids in a grade. Take away that 1550, and Joe Smo is one of hundreds of thousands of kids (many coming from schools with huge grade inflation). He isn’t going to stand out at all. And if his school doesn’t rank, he is actually at a disadvantage against the kid from a school with 1,000 kids per grade. (Let’s say that kid from the large school got a 1400).
There are lots of people who want to throw out standardized test scores. Very few of them are national merit level or in the top 2%. For these kids, they know it is a way to stand out in a competitive field.