Expert Admissions co-hosted a webinar with Sasha DeWind of Tutor Associates to discuss the current state of standardized testing and college admissions. We answered questions about the new SAT, class of 2028 early admissions data, the application process in today’s admissions landscape, and more. Keep reading for highlights from the conversation, and watch the webinar above.
The New SAT
Starting this March, the SAT will be a fully digital two-hour test. Students will still take it at a testing center, but can do so on either a computer provided by the testing center or on their own personal device. The biggest change to the SAT is the new adaptive format: each section of the SAT will have two modules, and how a student performs on the first module will affect what they’ll be given in the second module.
The new SAT also introduces built-in features such as a calculator and annotation tools. Students can bring paper and pencil to the testing center so that they can work on solving problems by hand before answering questions on their laptop.
It’s not yet clear whether students will be able to superscore previous scores from the paper SAT with the results from the new digital SAT, and colleges have not made any statements on this yet. It is best to take the SAT with the assumption that it will not be superscored and to try your hardest to succeed in all sections of the digital format, regardless of your previous scores.
SAT vs. ACT
We highly recommend that students take diagnostic tests for both the SAT and the ACT before deciding which one to pursue, choosing the test that suits them better. The ACT–which remains a non-adaptive paper test–is a longer test and takes more stamina, especially with the Science section at the end. The Math section for the ACT covers a wider breadth and depth of topics than the SAT. While there are prep materials available for both tests, there are only four practice tests available from the College Board for the digital SAT right now. We expect that they’ll release more materials in the future.
As always, the timing for sitting for standardized tests depends on the student. Some start diagnostic tests and prep as early as the 10th grade, while others start during the fall of 11th grade. Students who plan to apply Early Decision should finish taking all standardized tests by October (possibly November) of their senior year.
In terms of the number of recommended test sittings, we encourage students to have a concise testing profile. The more selective the school, the less students want to go beyond two (maximum three) testing dates.
When and How to Test; Test-Optional
When it comes to test prep, every student is different. Some students start practice tests with high scores, whereas others take time to improve their scores. After taking practice tests, students should use what they’ve learned from the experience to decide when to sit it for the actual test.
Parents should help set their students up for success to the best of their abilities, advocating for any accommodations that students need. If a student receives extra time or other accommodations in school, their school should submit an application to the College Board or the ACT for accommodations for standardized testing.
Test-optional policies are still being tried and tested by colleges. In the last few years, we haven’t seen the data on how many students have submitted test scores until late spring. While we recommend generally submitting scores, it also does depend on the student: there are passionate applicants who have worked hard on their academics and extracurriculars, but whose profiles might get overshadowed by a low score. But the more selective the school, the more we recommend submitting the application with strong scores.
Students often wonder about the importance of AP exams in the college application process. It’s important to keep in mind that no college in the US requires AP exam scores for admission. It’s also the case that many high schools are moving away from AP classes. Notably, certain schools in the UK and Canada require AP scores; if you’re planning to apply to these schools, it’s best to plan accordingly.
Early Admissions Data for the Class of 2028
Many schools are sharing less data on their early admission rounds this year than in previous years. However, numerous highly selective colleges have reported their early admissions data. Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Rice and Yale Universities all reported increases in applications in their early rounds compared to last year. Brown reported an 8% decrease in early applications compared to last year’s early admissions round, and Harvard reported a 17% decrease in early applications.
As in previous years, admit rates for the early round are down at many highly selective universities. Early admit rates for the class of 2028 went down at Yale, Dartmouth, Duke, Williams, and MIT. Some colleges saw early admissions rates go up, such as Brown, Boston College, and Boston University. Many applicants who apply in early rounds are deferred or denied outright, and different schools have different approaches to this process. Harvard defers 83% of their early applicants–the vast majority of whom are later denied–while Brown denies 68% of early applicants, and Yale 70%.
When it comes to submitting test scores, the data shows that 75% of students admitted to Dartmouth submitted their SAT or ACT scores with their early application. Among admitted students in Emory’s early pool, 61% submitted scores, while 35% of early admits at Boston University submitted scores. The takeaway is: the lower the early admit rate for a school, the higher the percentage of admitted students submitting test scores, in general.
The Application Process
We know that a student’s likelihood of being admitted at a school largely comes down to how they communicate who they are in writing, which is where this year’s essay prompts come into play. In light of last year’s Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in college admissions, many highly selective universities revised their supplemental essay questions, and/or added more questions to their application. Many of the new essay prompts directly reflect language used in the Supreme Court’s ruling, making many essay questions sound the same; this added more pressure for students to respond to each school’s essay prompts in a way that demonstrated a good fit for the particular school. This situation has made students dig a bit deeper in their writing, which can be both challenging and fun. This is all part of the larger process of applying to college, which–like preparing for standardized tests–can be a great opportunity to learn more about yourself and grow as a person.
High school transcripts also play a large role in college admissions. When grades are uneven throughout high school, an upward trajectory is always preferable to a downward one. It’s important to keep in mind that admissions officers evaluate students in the context of their particular high school–its rigor and academic culture. The best course of action is to aim for the highest grades you can throughout your high school career, keeping in mind that one “B” is not going to ruin your chances of getting into college. Twelfth grade courses are arguably the most important transcript factor grade-wise, especially if the trajectory is a downward one.
For all the details on these topics and more, watch the webinar above.
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