A group of high school and college students have created a new website that allows you to learn about colleges from those who know them best--current and recent students. It's the perfect complement to virtual tours. The best way to access it is through the Facebook link below:
Photo: University of Southern California
It came as no surprise that College Board announced that they would discontinue "the supplementary exams in various fields known as SAT subject tests." The organization, citing the coronavirus crisis, said the pandemic has “accelerated a process already underway at the College Board to reduce and simplify demands on students.”
College Board also said that Advanced Placement courses are better measures of a student’s knowledge in specific subject areas these days, as they “provide the type of hands-on learning experiences and practical, real-world work that colleges want to see from students.” CEO David Coleman said in a statement: “As students and colleges adapt to new realities and changes to the college admissions process, the College Board is making sure our programs adapt with them.”
The requirement of SAT subject tests by institutions has seen a sharp decline in recent years. Each year, fewer students chose to take them as colleges changed their policies. Once required, recommended or considered by many schools, roughly 50 US colleges, most with highly competitive admissions, were open to the tests in 2020:
The elimination of this test is a relief to most students, especially during a pandemic. Many have always grappled with whether or not to take subject tests since the pool of subject test takers is so high-performing; typically, we recommend only sending scores over 700--even 750--to colleges. It's good to see this pressure go.
However, some applicants see the departure of SAT subject tests as a loss of another variable to distinguish themselves from other applicants to the most selective institutions. While I emphasize that students should accept that they have little control over admissions at the most selective institutions, I empathize with their disappointment (even though I truly believe they will have the exceptional outcomes they desire even without admissions to and a degree from HYPS). Let's focus on what we can control by creating the strongest applications possible.
What's different this year? Obviously everything. But I hope to quell some of the anxiety by sharing what I'm seeing with my students and hearing from colleagues about theirs.
Yield is everything! Colleges need to believe you will enroll if they admit you--or they'll likely defer. For the first time, students are being deferred at colleges where they are even slightly above the profile. The deferral rate grew last year and continues to do so. Why?
More applications are being submitted than ever because of test-optional policies, and colleges need to see regular decision applications to manage where their money is going. That means being patient.
Deferred? While you can't count on being admitted in the spring, you are a strong applicant or you would have been denied--especially with all those additional applications. And let's see what happens with waitlists!
My goal is to help you manage your expectations. We are seeing many, many denials of students with perfect numbers and amazing extracurriculars at the most competitive colleges. While this is not a new development, it seems more prevalent (add it to the list of why people are more anxious and disappointed this year). It's so important for students to understand that they should never take this personally--and that taking admission to these colleges for granted is the real issue. If that sounds like you, read this response to a despondent student in a spring 2019 NYT The Ethicist column: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/magazine/almost-all-the-colleges-i-wanted-to-go-to-rejected-me-now-what.html
At this point, I'm still gathering information about applying test optionally. If schools are truly test-blind (the California system has been charged by state government to not look at any scores), not submitting scores should have no impact. However, most colleges are not test blind, and they have one less variable to consider while they sift through that larger-than-ever number of applications.
As I learn more, I'll share more. Please stay in touch and let me know of acceptances--and awards!