College Blog
Again, I always like to err on the side of being overprepared. It’s better to have the SAT or ACT score and not need it, than to need the score and not have it. And in general, more data points are better than fewer data points when it comes to admissions. But standardized testing has undergone a lot of change since 2019, not least of which include the digital SAT and this new world of test-optional admissions policies.
With the test optional landscape having flourished since 2020, the question of when or if to submit your SAT or ACT scores to colleges has been asked time and again. Generally speaking, colleges that have opted to go test optional have seen the number of applications increase as students with less-than-stellar test scores perhaps feel they have a better chance of admission without scores than with them. The other reality is that some colleges are looking to increase their statistics for ranking purposes, as higher rankings improve application numbers, so having a higher SAT or ACT score can be a definite plus from the admissions office’s perspective. But does applying without a test score signal that you scored poorly on the SAT or ACT? Not necessarily.
Having your student prepare for the SAT or ACT too early can cause problems. You’re likely to run out of quality test prep materials well before your student is ready to take the exam. And if you push up your student’s exam date before they have finished Algebra II, and before they’ve read enough and are mature enough to handle the SAT and ACT Reading, then you’re likely to cause frustration and stress for everyone involved.
Whenever the format changes, there’s profound anxiety among students, families, and schools about what will change and how that will affect student performance. So let’s go over the digital SAT, how it will work, when it will come out, and whether or not your student should rush now to take the paper test before the first digital administrations happen in March 2024.
