COVID-19 and College Admissions

In our last update, we shared information about the impact of COVID-19 on college visits (for juniors) and Admitted Student Days (for seniors). We also shared our new short term operational plans, including the transition of all test prep tutoring and college admission consulting to an online format, rather than in-person.

While preparing for the tests is only slightly affected, taking the tests is a different story.

As of this morning (March 17th), the April 4th ACT and May 2nd SAT have both been canceled nationwide. Further cancellations are also possible. College Board (responsible for both the SAT and AP tests) is also investigating ways that students could be allowed to take AP Exams at home.

What does this mean? What do I do now?

As always, we are trying our best to answer any questions you have… and to also answer the questions you don’t yet know you have! Here’s what we do and don’t know today.

I am registered for a test date in June or July. Are those going to happen?

You can visit these pages at ACT and College Board for lists of site closures, but please be aware that both testing agencies have acknowledged cancellations may happen too quickly for them to keep the pages up to date.

Keep a close eye on the email account you used to register for the test. Note that not all cancellation notifications are the same. Similar to a cancelled airline reservation, you may or may not be offered a rebooking alternative. The notice may simply ask you to wait for further information. You can also check with the school hosting the test, but we have found that a) a school closing doesn’t automatically mean they are not hosting a test, b) the fact that a school is still open does not mean that testing has not been canceled, and c) circumstances at schools are changing from one day to the next.

Is there anything proactive I can do to increase the likelihood I will be able to take the test?

It seems like private schools and/or schools in highly populated areas are more likely to cancel test dates. Some families that are switching test centers accordingly. Especially right now, though, it is impossible to know which sites will remain open and which will close. The test center change deadline for the June 6th SAT (or Subject Tests) is May 27th. The June 13th ACT change deadline is May 22nd, and the July 18th ACT change deadline is June 26th.

We strongly recommend that you register far in advance for test dates in June and July, as these dates will likely be quite popular (if they are offered then at all).

Wait - is it likely that test dates in June and beyond will be canceled too?

This is extremely difficult to predict, of course. As of this writing in mid-March, the June test dates are 12 and 13 weeks away. Yesterday, the CDC and the president indicated that life may disrupted as far out as July and August. No one really has any way to know for sure. We are many things to many people… but epidemiologists we are not!

The best indicator of whether June and July test dates will stand is whether schools announce plans to reopen this school year…or not. It’s hard to imagine how test dates could resume before schools reopen.

My test date was canceled. I don’t know when I can reschedule. I had prepared and was ready. Now what do I do?

We have so many students in this situation. It’s unfortunate and frustrating, as is much of life right now. As always, the answer is “It depends. “ At minimum, you should continue taking practice tests occasionally and reviewing your results. The good news is that the amount of tutoring or self-study needed to maintain is typically less than the effort you expended to improve in the first place. Savvy Strategies is putting together some course materials for you to use at home - stay tuned for more information on that.

Of course, life is your top priority right now.

College will happen!

Right now, just take care of yourself!

You may want and NEED to just put testing out of your mind for a short time. We get that too. It’s all overwhelming. These tests will all wait - and you should take some time to take care of yourself and your family. Certainty and stability will return one day.

We will stay in touch with you regarding any new information that you might need to make plans. Meanwhile, please feel free to contact us for personalized guidance, practice materials, and general (or specific!) questions.

What about AP Exams? Will they be postponed or canceled?

The College Board and the college admissions world as a whole will be reluctant to cancel an entire year’s worth of AP exams.

While the ACT and SAT are offered throughout the year and are not associated with specific classes, APs are tied to a defined body of work over a particular period of time. Canceling APs would require College Board to refund hundreds of millions of dollars in registration fees.

We are aware of early conversations to postpone AP exams if necessary, though this is obviously problematic from a number of perspectives. (We do have AP tutoring available if a student wants to prepare for AP exams, in case they proceed as scheduled or later.).

College Board announced on March 16th that they are investigating an option to allow students to take APs at home. They also indicated that further information would be provided here by March 20th. Stay tuned.

What does this do to the college application timeline for the class of 2021? What are colleges going to do?

Everything is unprecedented right now. So, while we can’t know the exact answer, we do know this: college admission offices are run by caring, thoughtful human beings who will be practical, fair, and humane in their responses to these extraordinary circumstances. We are hearing, every day, from folks on the admissions side of the desk. Their immediate concerns are for the current seniors, the admission class of 2020.

For seniors, many colleges are extending the commitment/deposit date from May 1 to June 1 or beyond for the class of 2020.

For juniors, colleges are indicating that they will be prepared to extend application deadlines or admission test submission deadlines for the class of 2021 as necessary.

We may see more colleges take the opportunity to join the test-optional movement and not require the SAT or ACT at all of applicants. There is even a case being made by many that testing should be eliminated altogether for the class of 2021. Note, though, that there is also reason to believe that test scores may be that much *more* important for the class of 2021 in some circumstances, because schools and regular classes have been so disrupted. It is just too early to know how this will unfold.

Admissions officers are anticipating abundant challenges in evaluating the Class of 2021 applicants, including gaps in transcripts and classes taken pass/fail, a surge in students needing more financial aid, a shift in what kind of geographic environments and distances from home are preferred by students, and any number of other factors not yet contemplated. While students can probably expect more flexibility than ever with testing policies, requirements, and expectations, it is still accurate to say that students who take the tests and score as high as possible are likely to have that many more options.

One last note. If testing is the last thing on your mind as you cope with the widespread impact of this pandemic, you are not alone. We, too, are prioritizing our own and our students’ health, while keeping testing and college admission in perspective. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below or on our Facebook page. We will respond to every question we can, even if we aren’t sure of the answer, and we will continue to update you as we get more information.

Take care of yourselves!