Test-optional policies took off during the Covid 19 pandemic, though some institutions, mostly small liberal arts colleges, had adopted these policies in the early 2000s. Now, according to FairTest.org, there are more than 2,100 colleges and universities that either don’t require test scores or won’t even consider them for purposes [...]
In October, students across the country took the PSAT/NMSQT, and some are likely wondering what "NMSQT" stands for. The answer: National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Now that you know that, you're probably wondering what the National Merit Scholarship is and how you qualify for it. To enter the National Merit [...]
Not only are today's high school students being affected by frequent changes in colleges' testing policies (as described in a recent blog post), they also have another upcoming change to contend with: next year, the ACT will switch to a digital format, in addition to undergoing other alterations. However, in [...]
Test-optional. Test-flexible. Test-blind. The terms themselves are confusing, and recent shifts in colleges' policies are even more so. If you're a high school student, or the parent of one, you may feel like you're experiencing whiplash in trying to keep up with the ever-evolving test requirements at U.S. colleges. Before [...]
Remember the movie The Incredibles? I’ll never forget the scene where Syndrome, the villain, is holding the superheroes hostage. He says, “When I’m old, and I’ve had my fun, I’ll sell my inventions so that everyone can be superheroes, everyone can be super. And, when everyone’s super, no one will [...]
No more answer sheets and #2 pencils. Starting in March 2024, students in the U.S. who take the SAT will take it digitally, and international students began taking the digital SAT in March 2023. Additionally, the PSAT will go digital in October of this year. In this blog post, I’ll [...]
As 2023 begins, there are several major changes that will impact the college admissions landscape this year and beyond. Below are descriptions of four of them, along with one wildcard. Pell Grant Increase For students and families relying on need-based financial aid, the Pell Grant increase is welcome news. The [...]
Guest blog post by Scott Moser, Moser Educational Services The considerable growth in the number of colleges offering test-optional admissions has led many students and parents to question whether the ACT/SAT are necessary or relevant. Unfortunately, the answer is not simple, and whether a student should take these tests and [...]
With the majority of colleges continuing to be test-optional this year, many students are wondering whether or not to submit their scores. When advising students on this, I look at specific colleges' data. Colleges typically publish the middle 50% of scores for either admitted or enrolled students, meaning that 50% [...]
On March 8, Inside Higher Ed reported that through February 15, only 44% of students who applied to college with the Common Application had submitted ACT or SAT scores. In contrast, 77% of Common App users submitted test scores last year. As discussed in a previous blog post, the pandemic [...]
