The June SAT has been cancelled worldwide and we fully expect ACT to do the same any day now. The IB final exams and Cambridge IGCSE/A Levels have also been cancelled while the AP Tests are moving towards an at-home format that will necessitate students in Asia taking the test in the middle of the night. Wow. This is the biggest disruption to the normal academic flow in living memory and the important, overarching message, is not to worry about testing matters and to be patient. Universities need students to keep the lights on and there will be massive short and medium terms changes to the normal application process to allow eager, qualified students to go on to university and get a great education. Now is a good time to work on other things: read books, bake bread, grow herbs, solve puzzles, play with cats, do yoga, and be thankful that you have that bright future awaiting you even if now things are a bit cloudy in terms of how you will actually get there.
There are so many moving parts to the situation right now that prognosticating what the specific situation will be in one, three, six, or twelve months is really a fool’s errand. That said, please find below specific guidance for students in different stages that will attempt to allay stress and help bring some calm. One things is that is common for all students and parents is to be careful where you are getting your information. Any changes to admissions or enrolment policies should be communicated directly from the university to you or displayed on the relevant university website. There are people trying to compile master lists of what schools are requiring what and when but that is the definition of a Sysiphean task. Check with the school or your high school university counsellor, not a WhatsApp chat group.
Present 12th graders to start university in 2020:
You are probably waiting to fully commit to one university and now the big question is whether that school will start physically or virtually come August. You may now not need to worry about high-stake year end exams (IB/A Levels) or you may be stressing about AP Tests, now to be taken at home next month. For APs, we have a team of top tutors ready to help you with many of the tests, contact us for details. For all, we’re sure that your new university is keeping you updated on this highly fluid situation and there may also be issues with visa and travel bans that there is no way to predict now. You will have some time over the next few months and it would be a great idea to steal a march on the courses that you are planning to take via enrolling in MOOCs or just by reading ahead in the classes that you plan on taking. Get fit, learn Spanish/Chinese/Bulgarian, learn how to cook some of your families’ favourites, etc. We will be starting some regular webinars called “Real Life 101” where will be talking to successful professionals to learn more about their academic, professional, and life journeys and these may be of interest to you. Stay tuned.
Present 11th graders to start university in 2021:
Things are the most unsettled for you. The important thing is that after University of California went “test optional” all other schools will likely follow suit and the SAT/ACT will probably not be required for any American schools. There are still good reasons to take the test that we will cover in a later post but the earliest you can take it now is August 29th so don’t worry about this quite yet. Once you have more clarity on when the test will be available and what format it be, you can make more concrete plans from there. If it comes to pass that you won’t have a good opportunity to take the test, or take it a second or third time, then don’t worry about it. The situation is out of your control, universities know this, and they will make changes accordingly. Finish the present school year as strongly as possible, even if you don’t have year-end exams to worry about. Grades in 11th grade are a key factor in admissions and will show universities that you can excel academically in adverse, abnormal circumstances.
Your summer plans are probably all in flux and you will likely have time on your hands. The earlier advice about non-academic activities holds, and you should maybe think of what formal extra-curricular activities you can continue or start while at home. Academically, we have our Grammar 101, Reading 101, and other enrichment courses planned that will help your broader academic and standardized testing performance - students with strong reading and writing skills do well in school, and also test well. You probably know exactly which math class you will be doing next school year so why not get started on that in June and July via Khan Academy? Khan likely covers some other subjects that you may be taking next year and we may be adding some related online courses over the summer months to help in this journey. For those with Extended Essays or Capstone projects, the expectations for you might be a bit higher given the amount of time you will have over the summer. There are also many virtual college tours and the like that you should take a look at.
Importantly, there is no reason to doing anything test-prep specific between now and July, at the earliest. There are better things to do with your time.
Present 10th graders to start university in 2022 (and younger students):
Deep breaths. We hope that things will get back to something approaching a “new normal” by the time you start the university application process next year. The advice above also certainly applies to you in terms of finishing the year strong and you should also consider our online “101” series of academic enrichment programs that we will deliver via video conferencing. Get a jump on next year’s math class and we are planning a pre-IB math “Boot Camp” over the summer.
There is no reason to get near standardized testing until October at the earliest. The tests cover what you learn in school and the more school you have, the better you will do. We do not recommend students look to take the SAT or ACT until December of their 11th grade year and have written about that extensively in the past. This advice remains. Getting started too early is a common, preventable, waste of time and resources.
Conclusion:
There are major problems in the world today and testing and your university applications are important to you, but take a moment to reflect on the broader situation. Start a diary or vlog/blog that you can record your personal experiences during this period to reflect upon in the future. Seek guidance from your school, your parents, or other trusted sources on how to get through this situation academically, and most important personally and emotionally. We’re monitoring the application and testing situation very closely and will be sending out regular updates in our e-newsletter, planned “Real Life 101” webinars , and Twitter feed.
