by Sara Calvert-Kubrom, former admissions officer at Lewis & Clark College

On September 1, 2020, a California State Court judge issued a preliminary injunction stating that the University of California system may not use standardized test scores like the SAT and ACT in their admission evaluation process. This ruling was made in response to the extreme limitations of testing during COVID that have been exacerbated for students with disabilities. These students have had less access to testing sites and/or needed accommodations during testing which are protected by the California Disabled Persons Act and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Although the judge’s ruling bars the use of standardized test scores by the UCs for applicants to the fall of 2021, the legal process is not yet complete and we will learn more after a litigated case management conference on September 29, 2020.

In terms of the college application process, almost nothing has been impacted quite as significantly by COVID-19 as standardized testing. A testing expert joins us to share her insights into what to expect when it comes to these evaluations this fall. In our second and third segments, we’re answering your questions related to college finance and admissions.

by Steve Brennan, former admissions officer at Occidental College

At Bright Horizons College Coach, we speak with hundreds of families every week about college admission. And every week, we try to put a stressed out family at ease by saying something like, “Don’t worry about the PSAT or PreACT – colleges will never see that score.” Or, “It’s true that the 11^th grade PSAT can have implications for merit scholarship consideration, but no college admission officer will ever see it and use it for admission.”

In the too-often opaque admission process here was advice that didn’t start with, “Well, it depends…” or have multiple caveats. And? Families had one less thing to be anxious about. Anytime we can dial down the stress surrounding the college admission process for students and families, that’s definitely a win.

Enter the University of Michigan.

by Sara Calvert-Kubrom, former admissions officer at Lewis & Clark College

On May 21, 2020, the University of California Board of Regents approved substantial changes to their standardized testing policies, changes that will drastically alter the nine-campus system’s undergraduate admission process. For the past two years the UCs have been evaluating the role of standardized testing in their admission process and we were eagerly awaiting the news. The extent of the changes, however, came as a surprise to many.

by Sally Ganga, former admissions officer at the University of Chicago

As I talk with high school juniors and their parents, it’s clear that one of their biggest concerns around the COVID-19 situation is standardized tests. With the March, May, and June SAT and April ACT test dates cancelled, students are hoping to test sometime in summer but are aware that even that may not be an option in every state. Such uncertainty is stressful, to put it mildly.

Test prep can be an expensive undertaking, yet we recommend that every student do some prep before they take the ACT or SAT. We’ll be discussing free test prep resources—what’s out there and which options are best. For juniors, we have advice on the top five things you should be doing now to get started on the college search and application process, and the top five things you and your families should know as you prepare to pay for college.

Standardized tests play an important role in the application process at many colleges, and those colleges will generally accept submission of either SAT or ACT scores. So which test should your child take?

People who can write a check for $50,000 or $75,000 to pay for college make up a pretty small group, and not many colleges can or will offer that much aid even to those who qualify for it. If you’re not sure where the money to pay for your or your child’s education is coming from, check out our advice on how to look for and maximize merit scholarship opportunities. As early deadlines—Early Decision, Early Action, Priority, and rolling—approach, we’ll offer some tips on how to approach these deadlines and what to expect from the early process. Finally, we’ll welcome a guest with insight into using mindfulness as part of your test prep process.

There are many, many myths floating around out there about college admissions, and in this new regular segment, we’re going to try to replace the myth with some facts. Last week we shared everything you need to know about completing the FAFSA, and this week we’re tackling the CSS Profile, which is required by about 400 colleges and universities. Finally, we’ll let you in on the who, what, where, when, and how of submitting standardized test scores.

Guest post by Joanna Graham, Fortuna Admissions

Most students look forward to taking a standardized exam about as much as getting a root canal, so I get that my love of them is uncommon (standardized tests, not dental work). I was 11 years old when I took my first standardized test, and since then I’ve sat for just about every exam under the sun – the ACT, SAT, GRE – even the LSAT and MCAT. So I speak from experience when I say that the GMAT, which is the beefy exam favored by business schools worldwide, is special. (Disclaimer: I spent nine years working at GMAC, the entity that administers and develops the GMAT exam.) Coupled with your academic credentials, your GMAT is also an integral component of your MBA application.