Guest post by Jason Shao of Revolution Prep

A recent article in Business Insider suggested that students should avoid taking the New SAT for the first three sittings (in March, May, and June of 2016). We thought this was a bold position to take, so we asked our trusted partner Revolution Prep to give us their perspective.

One of the most popular blog posts we’ve published over the years answers one of the most frequently asked questions our team of college admissions consultants receives: “When do I send SAT and ACT Scores to Colleges?” But when it comes to standardized tests, there are many more common questions that students and parents ponder. In an effort to ease some of the stress that families are feeling this application season, here are the answers to the top five frequently asked questions about submitting standardized test scores.

Top 5 Questions About Sending Test Scores

Q: Can I send my SAT/ACT scores to colleges after I submit my application?
A: Definitely! Any standardized test scores can be submitted after the application has been sent. In fact, this is ideal because your scores can then be matched with your application as soon as the application is received. Be sure to check the policies at each of the schools to which you are applying to review their requirements.

Will my October Scores be Considered for Early Decision?

The results from the October SAT are scheduled to be released later this week, just a couple of days before November 1 deadlines for Early Decision and Early Action. The close proximity of these related events has a lot of people confused and concerned, and understandably so. I’ve answered questions around this issue at least ten times just this week, and I hope this short post will help you clear up your confusion and provide a little bit of stress relief. Read on to see how you can manage late-arriving scores with your EA and ED applications.

Step One:  Notify Colleges of Future Test Dates

What Colleges Can I Get Into with Low SAT Scores?

At College Coach, we see a lot of students with immaculate high school transcripts who just aren’t very good standardized test takers. Admissions offices are fond of saying they care much more about how you do over four years of high school (your grades) than four hours on a Saturday (the SAT), but that doesn’t change the reality that some test scores can be prohibitively low for certain colleges. Many students who have worked hard to earn their excellent grades yet struggled with their performance on the SAT might find themselves with fewer options than they had hoped when it comes time to submit applications in the fall. But take heart! Even if your scores are lower than the rest of your academic profile, there are steps you can take to find yourself a great college match.

Take the ACT

It’s amazing how many parents and students believe that the SAT is the only option for students who want to apply to college. In fact, the ACT has been gaining ground on the SAT over the last couple of decades, and just last year more students took the ACT than took the SAT.

When changes to the SAT were announced last month, we had some initial reactions that focused on the big picture: how the test-prep industry would be affected, and what initial changes would mean for test-takers looking to choose between the SAT and its rival, the ACT. A couple of weeks ago, the College Board released more specific information about the new test, which has given students and educators a better idea of what to expect when the changes drop in a couple of years.

Vocabulary: elimination of so-called “SAT words”

Instead of those challenging fill-in-the-blank questions of the past, students will now be asked to identify the meaning of “relevant words in context.” To see the difference for yourself, I recommend taking a quick exam of your own knowledge. I found that responses to the new questions came much more easily for me, and that I really had to pause and think about what fit in the blanks on the old questions.

If you have a close relative who’s planning on applying to college at some point in the next 10 years, you’ve probably already heard about the announced changes to the SAT. I tweeted last week that the fervor surrounding this announcement is one more reminder that the three biggest letters in college admissions are S-A-T. Here on our blog, we’ve discussed the potential effect of these changes on companies that offer test prep. And if you keep an eye on our Facebook page, you’ll see a handful of other comments and articles related to the new SAT roll-out. There’s a lot to take in.

With so much out there, it’s hard to know the specific ways in which these changes will affect you when it comes time to apply to college. Should you be nervous? Excited? Cautious? Here are a few important points to keep in mind as you assess what the new SAT means for you:

Last week, Karen Crowley discussed the ways in which changes to the SAT will impact test prep. She suggested that companies with in-house curriculum specialists will be at a real advantage in achieving results for students. Revolution Prep has a robust infrastructure for responding to these challenges, and we turn to them today for answers to burning questions about the new SAT.

Read more here.

Recent news about major changes to the SAT hit just as I was boarding a plane home from a business trip. I took advantage of my time in the air to read up on the media reaction to this announcement. My ultimate take, despite what is asserted in the New York Times, is that these changes help the test prep industry hone in on how best to help students do well on the SAT, which will in turn help test prep become even more reliable in terms of results.

For example, since the reading passages now can be more accurately predicted, tutors can prep kids specifically for those pieces.  If the College Board is limiting the number of vocabulary words, tutors  may direct students to study a few hundred rather than a few thousand.  If they are focusing the math section by narrowing the amount of topics covered, that also helps the tutors concentrate their efforts. 

Back in March 2013, College Coach admissions consultant Zaragoza Guerra sat down with Revolution Prep Global Elite Instructor Megan Stubbendeck to discuss the College Board’s plans to revise the SAT and published the interview in a two part blog (read part 1 and part 2). At the time, the anticipated changes were due to arrive in 2015. However, Inside Higher Ed published an article yesterday announcing that the changes had been pushed back to 2016. Read more about this development here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/12/03/college-board-pushes-back-revised-sat-one-year.

In part two of our series interviewing Megan Stubbendeck, Global Elite Instructor at Revolution Prep, regarding the news shared in the Washington Post article, College Board to make changes to SAT, College Coach discussed what some of the specific changes might be and got Megan’s take on changes she would like to see implemented.

It seems David Coleman, the College Board’s president, has been giving hints he doesn’t think there is enough evidence-based writing in the SAT test, that it’s too opinion focused. Is this the most likely part to change?