Submitting SAT/ACT or not, international student w/o a test center

<p>Hi there,</p>

<p>I will be applying to colleges in the US, from Jan 1st. to March 1st., and I've really fallen behind schedule on the whole applying-to-college thing, without any good reason :(</p>

<p>Anyway, my situation is a little strange. There aren't any SAT/ACT test centers in my country (Iceland, which is an islands) and some colleges do waive their SAT/ACT requirements to applicants in my situation, although submitting those scores would probably help if you haven taken the test.</p>

<p>Recently, and probably way to late, I applied to SAT's "Testing Closer to Home" and ACT's "Arranged testing", meaning I might be able to take the SAT II (chem, math, phys) on Jan. 26., and the 'ACT without writing' mid-february.</p>

<p>I've already taken the TOELF exam, and those scores should be in by Jan. 3.</p>

<p>My question is. Should I inform the admission commitees about my situation, hoping they'll review my application when my test scores are in, OR should I rather state that I haven't taken the tests because there aren't any test centers in my country?</p>

<p>Help please! :)
Gummi</p>

<p>ps. would this thread rather belong in the 'Internation Students' forum?
pss. any comments on my english apriciated, better master the language before school starts :)</p>

<p>1) Ask the school about the need for testing in your situation. They may make an exception.
2) Check the deadlines for applying-you don't want your application to go in late, even if your test scores aren't available yet.
3) Some schools don't require ACT or SATs (check Bates, Bowdoin, and possibly Middlebury).</p>

<p>1) Ask the school about the need for testing in your situation. They may make an exception.
2) Check the deadlines for applying-you don't want your application to go in late, even if your test scores aren't available yet.
3) Some schools don't require SATs or SATs (check Bates, Bowdoin, and possibly Middlebury).</p>

<p>1) Ask the school about the need for testing in your situation. They may make an exception.
2) Check the deadlines for applying-you don't want your application to go in late, even if your test scores aren't available yet.
3) Some schools don't require ACT or SATs (check Bates, Bowdoin, and possibly Middlebury).</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply. I'll definetly be watching out for deadlines regardless of the tests.</p>

<p>Yes, I know that some schools do make an exception to applicants in my situation, my question is however, should I apply for that exception and not tell them about the fact that I might be taking the exams in jan/feb OR should I let them know that I'll be taking the tests but the test results will be rathe later? (with no good excuse)</p>

<p>The schools that don't require SAT/ACT do probably consider them, right? Any chance that schools with a January 1st deadline will look at my test results coming in mid-february/march?</p>

<p>Most admissions offices understand that students applying from foreign countries don't have the same information available about testing dates, accomodations and prep courses. I think this is one situation where you benefit by being up front with your target schools: Contact them and tell them your story (with as good a spin on it as possible.) You would like to apply as an exception, but you also found out that there will be testing available in Jan/Feb which you could do. But the results will be available late. What would the school prefer you to do? And it doesn't hurt to get them familiar with your name and situation ahead of time: When they get your application, they'll remember you.</p>

<p>And the schools that don't require SATs/ACTs would certainly consider them if you sent the scores and they didn't arrive to late in the process. I assume some schools have made the testing 'optional' because they were concerned that the testing requirement was discouraging minority students whose scores might be lower but who are otherwise excellent candidates. But I can also see where it would help to attract students from other countries who don't have ready access to the testing options that exist stateside. In any case, you lose nothing by asking what they recommend that you do.</p>

<p>"I think this is one situation where you benefit by being up front with your target schools: Contact them and tell them your story (with as good a spin on it as possible.)"</p>

<p>Yeah, that sounds reasonable. I'll probably do that.</p>

<p>Thanks! :)</p>