As it is well reported, the testing situation around the SAT and ACT has been a challenging one to navigate for many students around the country. With the slow reopening of the tri-state area and the quick reopening of other states around the country, the testing landscape and options are varying and still uncertain. We do know a few things though: There will be no online testing options from the College Board this fall, the ACT has chosen to postpone the single section retest option for students, the College Board has added a testing date in September, and more than half the colleges in the country have chosen to be test optional for next year’s admissions cycle.
If you are the family member of a rising 12th grader, testing is likely to be a regular conversation topic. It is important to try and get at least one testing session completed, if possible, while recognizing that your student’s safety and well being is of utmost importance. If your student is unable to secure a testing location and/or cannot submit a test score with their application, most colleges have announced that this will not negatively impact the review of their application. Each college has different policies around their test-optional/test-flexible/test blind policies and it is important to know them when preparing for application season.
For those with rising 11th graders, we recommend paying attention to what is happening with testing options during the late summer and early fall. Be mindful that demand among rising seniors to have at least one testing option is filling up spots quickly throughout the country. The urgency to finish testing early as an 11th grader is different this year. Delaying the start of testing until the late fall will not have a negative impact on your student and in fact may serve them well as they navigate the possible changes to their educational experience when they return to school in the fall.
The following are the scheduled SAT and ACT available in the late summer and fall: Be mindful, that in most cases, non-Saturday testing will occur the next day (Sunday) for those who are eligible:
|
DATES |
ACT |
SAT |
|
July 2020 |
18 |
|
|
August 2020 |
|
29 |
|
September 2020 |
12, 19* |
26 |
|
October 2020 |
10*, 17*, 24, 25 |
3 |
|
November 2020 |
|
7 |
|
December 2020 |
12 |
5 |
*In addition to the new ACT testing dates, all students will be able to register for existing non-Saturday test dates (if eligible) in September and October, when registration opens at the end of July.
Be mindful, that in most cases, non-Saturday testing for ACT and SAT will occur the next day (Sunday) for those who are eligible.
College Board SAT Fall 2020 Dates:
August 29, 2020
September 26, 2020
October 3, 2020
November 7, 2020
December 5, 2020
September 12, 2020
September 19, 2020
October 10, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 24, 2020
December 12, 2020
Please visit the websites above and stay connected to updates as they become available. We recommend you sign-up for ACT and SAT email updates to know of any updates and changes that will take place.
If you have any questions about what you have read or topics that are of particular interest to you and would like to schedule an appointment to see how we are managing the college counseling process for the upcoming year, please reach out to our website www.nycadmissionssolutions.com/contact and schedule a complimentary 15-minute call.