MOST RECENT UPDATES AS OF AUGUST 25:
On August 25, ACT sent a message to international students about the cancellation of December 2020 & February 2021 test administrations. For students applying to college in 2021 and testing outside of the US, we recommend the following options:
Consider fast-tracking your ACT preparation and plan to take the test in September and/or October 2020.
Push your testing timeline back and make a plan to take the ACT in April 2021 for the first time.
Consider switching to the SAT.
*December 2020 and February 2021 tests are still available for students in the US.
More information about these changes can be found below in the section titled “SAT Tests, SAT Subject Tests, & ACT Tests.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the world, we’ve been working diligently behind the scenes to continue our commitment to ensuring a rich and dynamic educational experience for our students. While there are many unknowns surrounding school visits, testing options, summer plans, and so much more at this time, it’s crucial for students to continue working toward their educational goals.
We aim to keep all LogicPrep families up-to-date on the changes surrounding college admissions and have answered some questions you might have about the future below.
TL;DR: While some aspects of the admissions process have been affected, much remains the same: colleges continue to seek students who demonstrate academic achievement as well as creativity, compassion, initiative, and impact. There’s also tremendous opportunity to demonstrate these qualities in our current climate.
Test dates are changing, but scores still matter and can be additive (even in a test-optional context)
Many schools are going pass/fail or relaxing academic standards, but make sure you’re grasping the material and building connections with teachers
Now is the time to show initiative and impact: pursue additional avenues for learning and supporting your community
We will continue to update this blog post to reflect the most accurate information. Do you have a question that is not included here? Comment below!
College Admissions
How has COVID-19 affected college admissions?
Colleges have suspended prospective and admitted student visits as well as open houses. Many college campuses are closed.
NACAC announced a new tool to use as a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Check it out here!
Some colleges have temporarily gone test-optional for students applying for Fall 2021.
There have also been rumors that “colleges will be prepared to extend application deadlines or admission test submission deadlines for the class of 2021 as necessary.” (Compass Prep)
When it comes to the application process, how does my high school going pass/fail impact my transcript and my chances of admission?
Information about how your individual school chose to adapt to this crisis will be made available to admissions officers, who will certainly be understanding of the extent to which these changes are beyond anyone’s control; it will not be “held against” students if they don’t have grades from the second semester of Junior year.
What it does mean, however, is that there will be greater emphasis placed on other parts of your academic record (grades before and after the crisis) as well as other parts of your application, including standardized test scores.
Will more colleges go test-optional for this application cycle?
Most colleges are waiting to see how long the pandemic will last before rendering a decision on whether to implement a test-optional policy. That said, we have seen a number of schools go test-optional over the past few weeks (you can view a full list of test-optional colleges on FairTest).
Test-optional is a policy by which students may choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores. However, if students do choose to submit scores, those scores will still be evaluated.
College Board previously said they will provide a digital SAT for home use if schools aren’t able to open in the fall but decided to pause on that development as of June 2. On April 16, ACT committed to offering an at-home testing option in the late fall/early winter 2020 and is still planning to do so.
It’s important to note that when colleges say they’re going test-optional, it means that students can still submit standardized test scores if they feel they would enhance their application. And, with high schools transitioning online and temporarily relaxing their academic standards, students’ transcripts will present a more limited picture. So, in some ways, SAT and ACT scores may paradoxically be more meaningful this year.
For the Class of 2021: if you’ve been prepping, keep up your momentum. At many schools, test-optional policies will translate to a chaotic combination of higher applicant volume and less data available to make decisions. Scores can definitely enhance students’ applications regardless of whether they’re required, so for students who’ve already committed to the process and are improving, we’d advise staying the course.
How can I build my narrative when I'm stuck at home?
Many students suddenly have a lot of free time at home due to the lack of spring sports, clubs, and volunteering. Of course, colleges understand that you can’t (and shouldn’t!) be participating in those activities currently.
However, for students that have the time and want to continue to strengthen their application, there are plenty of ways to still get involved outside of their classes. That will also give you another aspect to emphasize as you look to tell a compelling story to colleges in this process. The story told to colleges will be more important this year than in years past as your essays are going to be one of the only areas not impacted by COVID-19.
What can I do now to make progress on my college application process?
For Seniors, now is a good time to get ahead on opening up a Common App account - why not utilize the downtime to reflect on your academic and extracurricular records, and better yet, fill any gaps you identify and proactively enhance your application? Although the Common App resets over the summer, the information you input now will, in fact, “roll over.”
The Common App essay questions are already out (and supplements don’t tend to change dramatically from one year to the next), so now is a good time to start brainstorming, too.
And, for Seniors and younger students, ask yourself: how can I make a positive impact on my community while at home? How can I most be of service to others? And what skills can I cultivate to develop as a person and learner? Many universities have made courses available for free online, so now is a great time to learn a new skill (check out our list of resources here).
How can I “visit” schools and understand which are the best fit for me if I can’t actually go see them?
As college tours are not possible for the foreseeable future, colleges will be looking at other types of demonstrated interest. While you’re stuck at home, you can help your case with your favorite colleges by doing virtual tours and information sessions, spending time on the school’s website, signing up for their mailing list, emailing your admission officer, talking to current students and alums (please reach out to the LP team for an intro), and getting in contact with professors on campus.
All of these will help you show up in the school’s system and craft a more compelling reason why you and the school are a great fit for one another!
SAT Tests, SAT Subject Tests, & ACT Tests
What changes have been made to upcoming SAT & SAT Subject Tests?
Simple answer: Globally, the May & June SATs & Subject Tests were canceled and College Board will provide weekend SAT & Subject Test administrations every month through the end of the calendar year, beginning in August. Note: there will be no International test option in November (except for Subject Testing) & no Subject Testing in September.
On August 7, College Board announced that they “expect some test centers may decide to close ahead of the August SAT, even on test day.” They are “asking test centers to report closures as early as possible and will communicate changes to students ASAP.” Students planning to take the August SAT & Subject Tests should frequently check emails and visit this link for the latest information.
ALL students are now able to register for the Fall SAT & Subject Tests.
“If it’s safe from a public health standpoint, we’ll provide weekend SAT administrations every month through the end of the calendar year, beginning in August. This includes a new administration on September 26 and the previously scheduled tests on August 29, October 3, November 7 [US ONLY], and December 5.
For each administration, we’re preparing to significantly expand our capacity for students to take the SAT once schools reopen. We’re calling on our member schools and colleges, as well as local communities, to provide additional test center capacity so every student who wants to take the SAT can do so.
Students can get early access to register for August, September, and October if they’re:
• Already registered for June
• In the high school class of 2021 and don’t have SAT scores”
While College Board previously announced they would provide a digital, at-home SAT test in the fall, on June 2, they put a pause on this plan:
“The College Board will pause on offering an at-home SAT this year because taking it would require three hours of uninterrupted, video-quality internet for each student, which can’t be guaranteed for all. The College Board will continue to develop remote proctoring capabilities to make at-home SAT possible in the future. It will also continue to deliver the SAT online in some schools but will not introduce the stress that could result from extended at-home testing in an already disrupted admissions season.”
Along with this announcement on June 2, College Board called on colleges to show flexibility in admissions decisions. They also reported they will continue to deliver the SAT online in some schools, expand availability to testing centers this fall, and may offer an additional test in January 2021.
Also worth noting, the June German, Hebrew, and Italian Subject Tests were canceled, but College Board has announced they will reschedule these tests later this year and will inform students of when the dates are finalized.
If testing is in your college prep plan, our best advice for this time is to register for the Fall SAT & Subject Tests now. Because each student’s situation is unique, we encourage everyone to reach out to their Academic Advisor to discuss their individual test prep options & goals.
What changes have been made to upcoming ACT tests?
In March, ACT rescheduled the canceled April test date(s) to June (13 nationally, 12 & 13 internationally). All students who were registered for the April 4 test should have received an email with instructions for free rescheduling for either June or a future date.
The June 13 ACT was still held in some testing locations, however, a number of locations were canceled last-minute (some even the day before). Students were given the option to move your ACT registration to the July 18, 2020 ACT national test, without a change fee, by signing into their account.
On June 18, ACT reaffirmed its plans to move forward with July testing despite the challenges faced in June. ACT test centers promised to provide an open/closed status update to ACT by June 24th, however, many testing sites continued to close (some even provided no cancelation status until students showed up the testing site. Canceled test center locations found here.
On June 23, ACT announced 3 new additional national test dates for Fall 2020 (making 8 dates available for fall testing): September 19, October 10, & October 17. Registration for these fall tests is now open.
The updated fall 2020 ACT national test schedule:
September
Saturday, September 12 (existing)
Sunday, September 13 (non-Saturday, existing)
Saturday, September 19 (new)October
Saturday, October 10 (new)
Saturday, October 17 (new)
Saturday, October 24 (existing)
Sunday, October 25 (non-Saturday, existing)December
Saturday, December 12 (existing)
It's worth noting that historically, non-Saturday options have only been available for students who cannot test on Saturday due to religious convictions. However, ACT also announced that in an effort to accommodate students who have not been able to test because of COVID-19 capacity issues, they are opening non-Saturday testing to all students for September and October 2020.
On August 25, ACT sent a message to international students about the cancellation of December 2020 & February 2021 test administrations. For students applying to college in 2021 and testing outside of the US, we recommend the following options::
Consider fast-tracking your ACT preparation and plan to take the test in September and/or October 2020.
Push your testing timeline back and make a plan to take the ACT in April 2021 for the first time.
Consider switching to the SAT.
On June 18, ACT announced that it will be postponing Section Retesting (a new feature, set to be made available for US students in September) and on July 9, they announced plans to postpone online testing to 2021 in order to increase capacity for full testing in the fall. ACT still plans to offer ACT Superscoring in the fall, beginning with the September test, and to offer a remote proctoring solution in the late fall/early winter so students will have the ability to test from home (more on this below).
While ACT was already planning to introduce digital testing in the US this fall (something which has been available internationally for nearly 2 years), they announced on April 16 that they will also offer a remote proctoring option for US students in the fall. ACT will evaluate the remote proctoring solution as a possibility in the future for international administrations:
ACT recently added new test dates to give students more opportunities to take the ACT test this fall, and still plans to offer a remote proctoring solution, allowing students to take the test online, at home or at other safe and convenient locations in late fall/early winter. This option will improve students’ test-taking experience and increase their opportunities for college admissions and scholarships, while setting the stage for the future release of section retesting and online testing.
Beginning in September 2020, ACT will offer the option to report a superscore for students who have taken the ACT test more than once, and will offer four fee waivers to qualifying students (double the number previously offered) to take the ACT test for free.At this time, ACT plans to launch online testing in 2021 but will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on test center capacity to prioritize safe and equitable access to testing.
Also to note, ACT will provided makeup dates for the June & July tests:
“As CDC and local guidelines for safety allow, ACT will offer its June and July national test dates as scheduled and will additionally provide makeup test dates for June and July. The makeup test date for the June 13 national test date will be June 20, and the makeup test date for the July 18 test date will be July 25. ACT will work with individual national test centers should they need to reschedule to the makeup test date and students will be notified in advance. Students may also make free test date changes from the June to the July national test date.”
Our best advice for this time is to register for the fall tests now in order to secure a place, as students will be understandably eager to test as soon as they are able.
For Seniors applying Early, you will be able to use scores from all three new test dates that were added on June 23.
If your testing center was closed, we encourage you to speak with your Academic Advisor to discuss your plan moving forward.
I was prepared to take the SAT or ACT this spring & early summer and my test date was canceled/my test site was closed. What should I be doing now?
The best thing to do right now is to maintain your growth and keep your skills sharp. For some students, that may mean ongoing practice testing only, while for others, continued lessons will help create greater accountability and further hone their prowess. As always, the path will vary on an individual basis and the best thing you can do is coordinate with your Academic Advisor on a personal preparation and testing plan.
How does the current crisis impact students preparing for Subject Tests?
May & June tend to be a popular time for Subject Testing (particularly since it coincides with the AP exam dates), so the cancellations of the May & June Subject Tests have thrown a wrench in many students’ plans.
That said, we encourage students to continue preparing for the August test dates. It’s possible that some schools may relax their Subject Testing policies (the University of Pennsylvania, for example, was the first of the Ivies to drop their Subject Test requirement for this year) in light of the crisis. However, given the more abbreviated format of the AP exams and the fact that many high school transcripts will only show pass/fail grades for this semester, the Subject Tests will be an even more powerful indicator of academic prowess for students to demonstrate their strengths.
AP & IB Tests
What changes have been announced for the upcoming AP Exams?
On April 30, College Board provided insight into what the exam day experience will be like and offered an exam demo.
On April 3, College Board shared primary test dates & information about the format of the individual exams.
On March 20, College Board announced changes to the 2020 AP tests, including:
The new, at-home test will be abbreviated— 45 minutes.
The exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.
Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place.
Tests will be open book.
Questions will be free-response only.
College Board has provided free remote learning resources.
“Students remain eager to take AP Exams and to have a chance to earn credit and placement. We surveyed 18,000 AP students and 91% indicated they want to complete this important step, urging us not to cancel this opportunity they have been working toward.
We’ll continue to support students with free resources through exam day. And while we encourage students to wait until closer to the test date to decide, any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge.”
How does this crisis impact students studying for the AP exams?
Students should definitely still sit for the exams -- they’ll still receive a 1-5 score and College Board is “confident that the vast majority of higher education institutions will award credit and/or placement as they have in the past.”
The AP tests will be shorter (45 min), Free Response only, open book, and students will only be responsible for “topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.” Open book sounds great, but as many college students can attest, it doesn’t necessarily mean easier (especially if you only have 45 minutes to complete the exam). In fact, it’s quite possible that College Board uses more challenging questions this year in order to better assess students’ mastery of the material in this abbreviated format. The AP Exams will be administered between May 11 through May 22, with make-up exams between June 1 and June 5.
The test format and the shortened timeframe are anti-cheating measures in and of themselves. The exam is open book, so the questions will require comprehension beyond what a Google search would provide. In addition, 15-20 minutes per exam question won't leave nearly enough time to sift through results to a Google search and still be able to compose a coherent response.
How can students prepare for the upcoming AP Exams?
Definitely use the College Board website to familiarize yourself with what types of Free Response questions the test will include and what topics you might be tested on. You can also check out some of the free resources on the CB website.
Furthermore, be sure to check out the latest information about the exam day experience provided by the College Board. This page also includes an AP exam demo.
LogicPrep recently offered complimentary AP US History and Chemistry courses and recordings of the courses are now available. Our tutors are also available both for one-on-one and small group preparation sessions to help students adapt to the new testing format.
What changes have been announced for the upcoming IB Tests?
On March 23, The IB announced the May 2020 examinations have been canceled.
“The IB will be taking the following actions for the 2020 May Examination session:
• The May 2020 examinations as scheduled between 30 April and 22 May for Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme candidates will no longer be held.
• Depending on what they registered for, the student will be awarded a Diploma or a Course Certificate which reflects their standard of work. This is based on student's coursework and the established assessment expertise, rigor and quality control already built into the programmes. Full detail and FAQs will be sent to schools by 27 March 2020 (CET).At this time, we believe the November 2020 exam session will proceed as scheduled. We want to do right by students. If current May session students would like to sit exams in the November session, we would welcome it. And, therefore we are prepared for that eventuality.”
How does this crisis impact students studying for the IB exams?
While the May IB test dates are canceled, the November test dates are still on. If your school typically offers the May exams, "the student will be awarded either a diploma or a course certificate which reflects their standard of work. The achievement will be based around the students’ coursework and the established assessment expertise, rigor and quality control already built into the programmes.” This means that your coursework matters more than ever, so make sure you’re in contact with your teacher about how you can maximize your performance. You will have the opportunity to take the tests in November, although that’s not required.
If your school typically offers the November exams, the IB doesn't anticipate any changes to those test dates. Make sure you’re staying up to date with your coursework and reach out to us for help if you’re struggling at all with your school’s online learning system.
More information and questions can be found here.
English Proficiency Tests
What changes have been announced for the upcoming TOEFL Tests?
On April 3, ETS announced the following changes to the spring TOEFL testing schedule:
At-home Testing Options:
“To meet the needs of students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT® test at a test center due to public health concerns, ETS is temporarily offering the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test. The test is identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the TOEFL iBT test taken at a test center. It is taken on your own computer at home and is monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorU®.”
The TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test is available to those who meet the following criteria:
The test is offered in your country or location.
As of April 2, 2020, the test is available everywhere that TOEFL iBT testing is normally available, with the exception of Mainland China and Iran.
Your computer must meet the equipment requirements for the test, including the installation of the ETS Test Browser and the ProctorU Systems Check.
You must have a room that provides an acceptable environment for the test.
For specific questions regarding TOEFL testing changes, click here.
What changes have been announced for the upcoming IELTS Tests?
As of March 23, some IELTS testing is going ahead with additional precautions in place for testers, however, some locations have had to suspend testing:
“In some locations, we have had to suspend IELTS testing in line with official requirements of healthcare authorities.
In these locations, we are putting detailed plans in place to ensure that test takers are able to take their tests as soon as possible once the official restrictions are removed.”
In the US, all testing has been suspended.
Outside of the US, a list of suspended tests can be found here.
For non-native English speakers who are required to submit testing to demonstrate English proficiency, what does LogicPrep advise?
ETS just announced that it will be temporarily offering the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test. This test is identical in content, format and experience to the TOEFL iBT test typically administered at a test center - but, due to the current crisis, it will be offered online and can be taken at home. Meanwhile, with the IELTS suspended in many locations (the policies are region-specific), the test-makers are promoting efforts to increase availability after COVID-19 to help students be able to take it. Not too long ago, Duolingo launched an English proficiency test that many colleges are accepting as an alternative to the TOEFL or IELTS. This test is taken online and remains available as an option.
If English proficiency testing is part of your testing plans, now is the time to read more about the latest alternatives and start preparing. Our tutors and Academic Advisors are prepared to help you navigate these changes and maximize your testing experience.
ISEE & SSAT Tests
What changes have been announced for the upcoming ISEE Tests?
ISEE uses Prometric testing centers, which are closed from March 17, 2020 until May 31, 2020. However, ISEE has announced that they are developing an at-home test to be available later this spring.
What changes have been announced for the upcoming SSAT Tests?
SSAT has canceled its April standard administrations, and all other testing is suspended until further notice. Some limited international test centers in unaffected areas may be operational. There has been no indication of an at-home test being developed.
I’m currently studying for the SSAT or ISEE. What does LogicPrep advise during this time?
Most students typically take the SSAT or ISEE in the fall, so your plan remains unchanged; if you’re currently prepping for the fall or winter tests, continue prepping and plan to take the SSAT or ISEE in the fall in a testing center.
With the college admissions landscape changing by the minute, we will continue to update this page with the latest information.
Have questions about how these changes affect your testing plan? Reach out today!
Watch LogicPrep’s Founder & CEO Lindsay Tanne discuss in detail how COVID-19 will affect your college admissions plan.
Webinar recorded on April 14, 2020