ACT & SAT Cancellations as of March 16, 2020
March 16, 2020
Dear friends,
With our lives changing in real time, I’m sending an update for those students who were planning on SAT, Subject Test or ACT sittings in April and May.
The College Board has cancelled the May 2 SAT and Subject Tests worldwide
ACT has cancelled the April ACT in the US; international students should check act.org for updates to their particular region.
For students who will apply to college this fall, I expect colleges will show some sympathy for the turbulence this spring; that said, I recommend doing what you can, health permitting, to gather your strongest credentials even amidst all the noise.
If you were planning on taking the May SAT:
The June 6 (US only) and August 29 dates remain available to you. This is not ideal for those juniors who were hoping to be done with testing this year and focus on college essays and character work over summer, but alas these are the options we have currently. Other notes:
International students must wait until the August and October SAT dates for next sittings. Plan wisely as November 1 is typically the deadline for Early Decision applications.
A makeup date may be announced later -- check collegeboard.org for updates.
If you were planning on taking the May Subject Tests:
We recommend two sittings of Subject Tests in spring (May + June), two tries to hit your personal best. In this case, you all will receive just one try—so simply do your best. Perhaps some time has opened up for students whose schools have shifted to virtual only; use that time wisely to make the June sitting really count. August 29 is there as a backup, unless you need it for SAT.
International students: note that June is available as a Subject Test date internationally (just not as an SAT date).
A reminder that students can register for up to 3 subject tests in any one sitting (each test is 1 hour).
If you were planning on the April ACT:
The June 13 and July 18 (US only) dates remain available to you. See the above note for May SAT testers— this is not ideal if you were planning for testing to be done Junior year, but we will have to make do.
Sophomores: a careful plan beginning this summer
Some of the above applies to accelerated sophomores taking Subject Tests this spring. But more importantly, it is a reminder to sophomores across the board to carefully plan your testing calendar for junior year, beginning with SAT/ACT preparation this summer. Indeed, some of our juniors were so fortunate to be done with SAT/ACT by November, following a careful plan of action to hit even 99th percentile goals. Contact us to discuss your plan.
Finally, a link below to a CNBC.com feature I contributed to. The economic fallout from coronavirus to universities will be dire--perhaps most prominently felt by further drops in international enrollment.
We are here and working if any families would like to discuss scenarios they are facing.
Wishing everyone good health.
Hafeez
Resources:
College Board Coronavirus update
CNBC.com: Stemming the flow of international students could cost US colleges $41 billion
New York Times: How to Write a Good College Application Essay