First one I’ve come across not accepting the ‘old’ SAT for 2017 applicants, guess we won’t be applying there!
Is there a definitive list somewhere for any other colleges doing this?
From VT website:
ACT/SAT Requirements
Virginia Tech accepts either the SAT Reasoning Test (including critical reading and math) or ACT test scores. Since Virginia Tech utilizes the writing portion of each test for placement purposes, students who opt to take only the ACT should take the ACT plus writing. All tests should be taken by the December test date of the senior year.
Our Score Choice is: Highest Section Scores Across Test Dates – Version 1 (Highest M, CR, W). Please note: Virginia Tech wants to see all of your test scores. We will use the highest scores and even combine your highest test scores from multiple test dates when evaluating your application.
Note: Those who plan to apply to Virginia Tech for the fall of 2017 and beyond, are required to take either the ACT or the redesigned SAT test, which will be available on March 6, 2016. To learn more about the new, redesigned SAT test, visit https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat.
Note: If you plan to take the SAT, we recommend using the free SAT test-preparation program available online at https://www.khanacademy.org/sat.
I’m very curious as to why this would influence you decision to apply or not to Virginia Tech, or any other school which might make the same requirement.
My son is currently a junior at high school and I think his year has been messed around enough by the College Boars SAT and PSAT changes that this requirement is just adding insult to injury.
He took the old SAT in the spring of his Sophomore year, which would give him opportunity to retake the old SAT if needed. This was to avoid the uncertainty of the new SAT and also to avoid the small timing window of the new SAT - if he was to take the new SAT (avoiding the first March 2016 sitting for a variety of reasons) it does not leave many opportunities to re-take given the need to take SAT subject tests and wanting to apply early to colleges in the senior year. As it turns out he did very well in his first SAT (2300s) and had no need to retake, but if he was to now take the new SAT there is no opportunity to superscore and a good chance (regression to the mean) that his new SAT score might be lower and that colleges would effectively ignore his very good first SAT score in favor of the new SAT. Why take that risk? Instead, just ignore colleges that require that risk - as a near-certain NMF, it’s their loss.
OP, have you thought of having him take the ACT to see what happens?
On the other hand, be careful with that idea if you’re applying to certain elite schools who want to see all the scores. Something to think about though.
@m139pl – Va Tech is the only school I have heard with this rule. I first heard about it last fall, I think.
My son followed same strategy as your son, with similar results, so has no plan to take new SAT. Although given how much easier he found the new PSAT to be compared to old SAT, perhaps he should have waited!
Agree with @SouthFloridaMom9 to be alert to the list of schools that require all testing history be submitted: Yale, Georgetown, Stanford, CMU, Penn, Cornell are some. (I am missing a few.)
I’m not sure why Virginia Tech can’t just use a concordance table to compare the scores of old and new SATs. I’m sure that’s what the other schools are doing.
My D’s test prep company stressed that current h.s. juniors should take only the old SAT until they could get the inside scoop on the new one. That’s what she did. She’s also taking the ACT so she’d be covered for a VA Tech application, but it seems ridiculous that they can’t accept both old and new.