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Several schools are going test-optional for applications this fall—here’s why you should still do your best to get a high score

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Over 400 colleges and universities have decided to make the SAT and ACT test scores optional for their application, some permanently and others just for the 2020/2021 application cycle. On the list are many of the nation’s top institutions, including all Ivy League universities and several of the best liberal arts colleges. These schools have promised that students will not be penalized in any way if they do not submit test scores, though most will take scores into account if provided. Students that don’t provide scores will be judged on other aspects of their application packet, such as grades and course rigor, and the essay portion will have greater weight. For some institutions, this year represents an opportunity to reevaluate their admissions process and develop a more holistic way to evaluate prospective students, with the hoped-for outcome being increased equity in admissions.

Though the SAT and ACT may be less important for college admissions this year, that doesn’t mean students should disregard tests entirely. There are dozens of scholarships that are either entirely based on ACT/SAT scores or require a minimum score to be eligible. Many schools offer guaranteed scholarships for students scoring above a certain threshold and meeting a GPA requirement. Additionally, many private and merit scholarships also expect high test scores as constitutive of a strong application. High test scores provide students the opportunity to substantially offset the cost of their education.

So, how can you ace the SAT/ACT?

A major part of performing well on standardized tests is to simply be familiar with the format and the set of questions in the different sections. Students should take practice tests and time themselves to accurately simulate the test day experience. Regular practice leading up to the exam will reduce stress and help students develop strategies to complete the test in time and make accurate guesses whenever necessary.

Some important tips to remember:

1. Skip over the hard parts and go back to them at the end

Within each of the timed sections on both the SAT and ACT, there is no obligation to complete the questions in order. Students should pass over questions—or even whole passages—that stump them to ensure that they have time to accumulate points on the easier questions. Neither the SAT or ACT penalizes students for wrong answers, so it’s a good idea to put in a temporary guess when you skip a question. Just be sure to mark the question or page number so you remember to return to it later!

2. Eliminate obviously false answers

Usually, two of the options on multiple choice questions can be eliminated right away. The other two will be more difficult to choose between and will require a closer examination of the questions and any supporting information. Eliminating answers is especially important when students are unable to solve a question completely, either because of time constraints or because they don’t know the right strategy; it allows them to guess with a higher chance of choosing the correct answer.

3. Take notes in the reading section

Jotting down a few quick notes that help make sense of characters, relationships, arguments and counterarguments, or other critical information can prevent a lot of mistakes in the reading section. Notes can also save time by reducing the need to reread large portions of the passage. For example, if students mark down the characters’ names and relationships to each other in a fiction passage, they will be much less likely to get confused when they see a name in a question.

  1. If you are not a quick reader, learn to effectively skim

Skimming and strategic reading take practice to master. The key is to identify the most relevant information in the passage and ignore the rest unless it comes up in a question. For a well structured informative piece of writing topic sentences are a useful guide for the main points and where to find them. For literature pay careful attention to dialogue, mood, and tone. Always annotate as you read so that if you have to refer back to the passage you can spend less time looking for the relevant parts.

Of course, this is far from a complete list. And even with these tips, practice is what is most important. During your time testing your skills make mental notes of what works and what does not. This way, you will be sure to improve. Finally, do reach out and hire expert tutors to make sure you maximize your opportunity to improve your score on test day.

Navigating the Common App this Fall: Focus on the Writing

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 Applying to college during a pandemic may seem like a daunting task. Students worry how their admissions chances may be affected, especially if the pandemic prevented them from participating in important extracurriculars, or their grades took a hit. Fortunately, college admissions offices are aware of the challenges posed by COVID-19 and have adjusted their expectations accordingly. Some admissions officers see this year as an opportunity to experiment with the admissions process, possibly generating better ideas that will continue to be used in the future.

A trend in this year’s admissions process is the heightened importance of the college essay. Test scores, grades, and extracurriculars may be affected by the pandemic, so it’s up to students to make their case in their essays. The essay questions for the common app will be the same as last year’s, but this year the common app offers a space in the Additional Information section for students to explain how COVID has affected them or their communities. Keep in mind, this question is designed to give students not only a chance to speak about the difficulties brought by the pandemic, but also how they rose to meet the challenge. They want to know: How did you help yourself, family, and community during the pandemic? How did you persevere? What did you learn about yourself and your ability to face challenges that makes you a good candidate for our school? For more information about this topic, go to the common app website. 

Keep in mind that if you choose to answer the question about COVID-19, you probably shouldn’t talk extensively about the pandemic in your personal essay. Use that space instead to focus on something that sets you apart from other applicants. The common app offers several prompts; choose the one that allows you to make the best case for yourself as a potential student. You can find this year’s essay prompts here. A great college essay should be quite personal—even if you write about people or things that are important or inspiring to you, make sure that the main focus is on you as a student and person. Offer your reader a window into your life and specific information to help them connect to you. Avoid clichés, generalizations, and lists of your accomplishments. The admissions committee doesn’t need a restatement of every extracurricular activity you’ve ever done. They need to know what you are passionate about (and importantly why), your goals, the way you think, and how you express yourself. Significantly, don’t simply tell them—show them. Do it through anecdotes, analogies, and examples. This way you offer admissions counselors a side of you that may not be readily apparent in other components of your application, and it is a way to promote your writing abilities in the context of fairly personal life stories. In other words, take the essay as space to demonstrate how you apply what you learn.

The best way to write a great college essay is to start drafting early. If you’re not sure which prompt to go with, do a free-write for several of your top picks and select the one that allows the best writing flow. Once you’ve settled on the question and penned a solid draft, seek out help from your school’s counselors, teachers, or writing coaches. Write, rewrite, and polish until your essay is the best it can possibly be. At 650 words, the college essay demands that applicants express themselves concisely and effectively—there is little room for error so make every sentence mean something. Keep in mind also that many colleges require supplemental essays, and these should receive equal attention and rigorous editing.

In sum, don’t stress too much. This can be exciting. It is an avenue through which to practice effective communication, tap into your creative energies, as well as showcase something about yourself that you’re proud of and that can’t be captured only with a resume.

Virtual learning advice for students in the time of Covid-19 and beyond.

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Depending on where you live, there may be no end in sight to virtual learning. For many of us, continuing to take classes via Zoom or other online platforms induces dread and exhaustion. If you are feeling anxious about your ability to learn and focus virtually, know that you are not alone. Many students have been finding it harder to concentrate during online lectures and class discussions and feel that the quality of their learning doesn’t compare to in-person education.

There are many unique challenges to online learning. Finding a quiet space with few distractions is impossible in some households, particularly if there are multiple family members or roommates trying to work or learn from home simultaneously. The presence of young children and noisy pets of course adds to the chaos, creating noise and sometimes causing unexpected interruptions. It is also the case that many students have extra responsibilities at home that they’re relieved of in school. For example, when you’re home you may be expected to do extra chores such as child and pet care which pulls focus away from learning.

Another challenge to online learning stems from the technology itself. A recent study shows that because there is a tiny lag in the Zoom videos, students’ brains have to do extra work to process this lag, pay attention, and make things feel in sync. This extra work ends up taking energy away from the material. It can also be harder to focus on the instructor as one of many small windows, especially when classmates conduct themselves in distracting ways. Of course, you can adjust to speaker view in some applications but the fact still stands that paying attention is challenging.

Given that distance learning is likely to continue for months in many school districts, colleges, and universities — how can you make the most of your online education?

1. Advocate for yourself, at school and at home

Sometimes we have to set boundaries and prioritize our own education. This could mean talking to parents or roommates about expectations for online schooling. Remember that you are still at school and deserve to have a quiet workspace to the greatest extent possible. Gently reminding those you live with that you need quiet or can’t do other tasks during the time you’re supposed to be in school is perfectly acceptable—and sometimes very necessary. It’s also okay to advocate for yourself to your educators, requesting extensions, days off, or simply understanding that they have to expect some level of distraction from students logging in from busy home environments.

2. Maintain a “normal” routine

Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time you would during in-person school. If your sleep habits were never great to begin with, distance learning might offer the flexibility to figure out a better routine. Also, try to work for the same number of hours you would be in school, even if you have fewer hours of class and transition time. The extra time could be all you need to complete homework or other assignments, meaning that when you finally log off, you’re truly done for the day.

3. Establish a work ritual

Anything you can do to put yourself in the right mindset to learn, and distinguish school time from the rest of your day, will improve your focus. Maybe this looks like getting dressed up more professionally, organizing your workspace in a specific way, or brewing a cup of tea or coffee to have at hand. Perhaps you are into lighting some incense to get the right aura in your room, creating the exact olfactory environment to optimize production. The point is, find a ritual that works for you, that can signal to your brain that it’s time to learn.

4. Get creative with your work area

 The virtual learning epoch brought to us by Covid is taking us all out of our general comfort zone, but we should take it as an opportunity for experimentation. Of course, remaining professional is imperative for most and establishing routines in the classroom require consistency. However, we should not fall victim to functional fixedness and try to envision new ways to interact with our surroundings to promote education. Whether it’s trying on new virtual backgrounds, reimagining the use of space, or redefining what actually works, virtual learning can be an avenue for innovation if we put our minds to it.

To conclude, we should be kind to ourselves and others during this hard time. It is necessary to think collaboratively about how we can connect to one another in ways that are both human and effective.

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