Fools Rush In

The single biggest mistake that we see every year is students taking the SAT too early. Now with summer options curtailed, more rising 11th graders think that they can just use the entire summer to prepare for the SAT and then "get it out of the way" in August. No. Just no.

There are two main arguments against:

A) The SAT tests content that is learned in school.  The longer a student spends in school reading, writing, and doing math then broadly, the better the SAT score.  In math in particular many students haven't covered all the content that is tested on the SAT until well into 11th grade.

B) The start of 11th grade is vital for university applications and if possible students should throttle back on other activities as much as possible to ensure that they hit the ground running and keep that GPA up.  Clearing the decks and not doing SAT-related activities during the school year until November and then targeting the December test is a decent compromise as that allows a few more later bites of the apple in March/May/August if need be.

We can't dictate when kids actually take the test, and despite some 30 years experience in test prep, students regularly blithely think they know best and test in August or October of their 11th grade. This often leads to kids getting stuck in a Sisyphean cycle of test/prep/test/prep/test that consumes way too much of their 11th grade, and results in the same score they would have gotten from just holding off a bit.

The only (sort of) rational argument for testing earlier than December of 11th grade was for potential student athletes who need to fulfil NCAA testing requirements. The NCAA has dropped this requirement for now, so this argument no longer stands.

If the student is a high achiever who will score a 1450 plus in August with loads of prep, the same student will likely score over 1500 with next to no prep in December and maybe 1550 come the following March. Older students score higher, it is just that simple.

We have our modular test prep programs that use the summer effectively and have a break before resuming leading to the December test. These are specifically planned for rising 11th graders. Doing any SAT-specific prep earlier than the summer before 11th grade is not something that we would condone for any reason, and indeed we will not take such students into our test prep programs - though we'd welcome them into our other 101 and Head Start enrichment programs, as appropriate. We only work with students who are preparing for the right test at the right time. We turn business away regularly from students looking to start too early, and also those students who really don't need any formal preparation.

March 2021 FAQs

With the recent changes afoot in testing and admissions it is hard to keep track of things and there is much bad information floating around on WhatsApp groups and other social media. Here are just a few common testing misperceptions debunked. Check the webinars for more details....

- The SAT is no longer required.
Nearly every American school has been forced to go "test optional". The main driver for this is the fact that the SAT is not openly available due to Covid and schools can't require tests students can't take. Some schools such as the University of California system have gone full "test blind" and have committed to not even considering test scores for a few cycles. However, most schools have adopted some form of "test optional" policy where kids can submit scores if they want to but those who do not should face no negative consequences. Read the exact policies on the university websites. The tests are still required for many scholarship/ROTC programs at public universities and also for public schools in Florida.

- So I shouldn't submit scores at all.
If you have a poor score relative to the average level at that university then submitting scores is not a good idea. However, if the median score of past admitted students at university A is, say, a 1250 and a student scored a 1400, then that score should absolutely be submitted. If it makes you look good, then show it. More on this can be found in an article by our friend Jed Applerouth here.

- I should take the Subject Tests while I still can.
No. These tests are dead though they will still be administered internationally through June 2021 for some strange reason. American universities will hence stop looking at results on these exams and the only schools asking would be schools in other locations that maybe didn't get the memo yet. IB results, A Levels, and AP tests are much better gauges of subject-specific mastery, and is a core reason why these exams got cancelled.

- The SAT will not come back.
The great Andrew Sullivan really stirred the pot last week with this impassioned defense of the test. It is really too soon to say for sure what will happen come 2022, 2023, 2024, etc. but most universities like the idea of a common metric. Universities know full well that kids from very wealthy families will have access to test preparation and that a 1400 from such a student isn't nearly as impressive as a 1350 from a student with more modest economic circumstances. Grade inflation has made GPAs less useful over the years and larger universities in particular will really struggle without the SAT score to consider. If all American high schools ran the IB then it would be a different story, but that will never happen. Each state closely controls the specific curricula used at public schools; ceding this control to a Swiss-based NGO is not in the cards.

In a perfect world of rainbows and unicorns each student would be personally interviewed, letters of recommendations would be fully considered, and a full personal examination would be conducted. Small, well-funded liberal arts colleges can do this. Large universities getting upwards of 100,000 applicants can't.

Stay tuned on how this dynamic situation develops in the future.

December 2020 FAQ Answered!

How do I get a seat to take the SAT test in Singapore?
If you attend a school that is a closed test center (you know who you are), then get the secret test center number from your school and register via the College Board website. If you do not, then things get a bit more complicated.

In normal times the bulk of the openly available seats to take the SAT in Singapore were supplied by local MOE schools with large capacity such as ACJC and VJC. There are presently restrictions from these schools administering the test and hence a major mis-match in supply/demand for seats. We anticipate that when we move to "Stage Four" then things will open up and these centers will again open up. When this happens, students who are on the official College Board wait list will be first in line. You get on this list by letting "College Board find me a place" during the registration.

No amount of emails or calls to College Board in New York will be of any use. If you can't test, don't worry about it. (see below)

What if I can't get a seat to take the SAT?
Note that this test availability problem is hardly unique to Singapore and kids all over the world (including large swaths of America) are not able to test. As a result, all American schools are now test optional at the very least and you will not have to submit scores. If you do not submit scores, this will not hurt your application. Chartering a speedboat to try to get a to a test center in Batam or Johor is completely crazy town.

What about the ACT, should I take that in April/June?
As reported earlier, the ACT gave up on international by cancelling international tests until April 2021 and firing all the international staff. Presently there are places notionally available in Singapore for the June test administration but we doubt that these will be fully open. Try to take the SAT instead, the ACT is even more of a mess at present.

What does "Test Optional" mean?
It means that the SAT/ACT test scores are OPTIONAL and you do not have to submit them, especially if you can't take the test! Universities will use other parts of your application in lieu of test scores.

Should I still submit test scores?
If the university is test optional (U. California legally can't even look at scores now!), and your test scores are solid, then go ahead and submit test scores. If your test scores are poor relative to the rest of your application, then no need to send them.

Will it hurt my chances if I do not submit scores?
No, schools are test optional, see above. Universities need students and will be making it easier, not harder.

Will universities be test optional for class of 2022 as well?
Probably. Hard to say for sure and schools are likely not keen to commit to anything that far out but unless things snap back to a new normal very soon, then most universities will be test optional for kids starting in 2022 as well.

What about the SAT Essay and SAT Subject Tests?
Just a few American schools still technically "recommend" these tests and that number goes down every week. We anticipate (and hope) that these tests will die a graceful death with the next admissions cycle. They are still required by some non-American schools so check with the specific university. We can see the tests being quietly fully cancelled and still being required by some universities who didn't get the memo.

Where can I get more specific guidance?
Our webinar in December covers all of this ground, but the best person to help you is your university advisor at your school. NOT a commercial university placement agent. NOT a WhatsApp group. NOT what you heard from your friend's cousin's half-brother whose kid "got into Stanford". There has been a proliferation of fake news on all things of late, and admissions and testing has hardly been spared.

We encourage people to have a look at our blog for our most recent postings as well as our Twitter feed where we post interesting links.

October 2020 Update on Testing

As the ACT just basically walked away from the international table, College Board (CB) continues to muddle through by woefully mismanaging the SAT both internationally and at "home" in the US. This Forbes article is the best we've seen in a while in detailing the problems in the domestic market that are only worse abroad. CB has grown fat and bloated operating as an oligopoly and as an organization could just about walk and chew gum in normal times. Now, it is being asked to walk, chew gum, juggle chainsaws, and balance a bowling ball on its head. Unsurprisingly, the net result is testing chaos.

About half of the kids scheduled to test in September and October globally were cancelled, many last minute. This is often completely out of the control of CB as the decisions are regularly made at the local level by the actual school or local authorities. What is very problematic is that often test centers are shutting but that information takes weeks to percolate through the College Board system to get back to students. This is doubly so in Singapore. Students have even been getting assigned test centers that are actually closed and not findings out the actual situation until a few days before test day - spending time and money on prep for a test that they can't take. A terrible state of affairs that is repeating around the world.

There is an online resource that CB claims will update students on the situation but in practice it is slow to reflect the latest information and the focus is, as ever, on the domestic market with international testing an afterthought. Only several test centers in Singapore are open to outside students and several that students are assigned to for December aren't actually presently planning to be open. Singapore regulations could change tomorrow that would allow for testing at MOE schools and that would help things greatly, but we just can't predict that. The large MOE schools have traditionally accommodated the bulk of the testers in Singapore and with them shut there is a massive supply/demand imbalance. If you are attending a school that is a "closed" test center then you should be just fine, but register early (and often!).

If CB told you that you have a place at a given test center in Singapore to test on December 5th, check with the test center directly to verify that it is still happening. Hopefully the schools will put this information on their websites. If that test center isn't happening then the chances you getting a place at another center that actually has seats is scant, and you'd probably better off not worrying about the test for now. If you are applying to start university in 2021 then the test is optional at just about every American school. If you are applying for 2022 then you should have a clearer run next year to test and even then, it will probably still be optional for you as well. The key thing: don't worry too much as universities need students, and if you can't test, then you can't be asked for a test result. Universities need students, especially full-fee paying students from abroad. Hence, all universities will be more flexible in terms of test and other requirements for the foreseeable future. Check the individual university websites for specific requirements and updates; Twitter feeds in particular often have the most recent information. Note that asking what the exact requirements will be beyond the present 2020-2021 admissions cycle will not get you far as schools really just don't know.

Kids in the class of 2023 should not even be thinking about testing for another 12 months or so and should work on regular school work and whatever other worthy activities they have access to.

Pretty much every school is now formally "test optional" for 2021 and maybe also 2022. That said, if you are able to sit these tests and get a good result then that will help your chances as there are fewer things for universities to consider now as most sports and other CCAs have been shelved. There is much speculation on how everything will pan out and if 2022 kids will have a harder time getting into the most competitive schools due to the many students deferring or not. Anyone who claims to know the answers now should not be trusted, or even listened to.

Needless to say, we are watching this situation very closely. If you want an update just send us an email and we can arrange a time to talk.

April 17th Testing Update

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.