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Digital SAT: All You Need to Know

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I’m excited to announced that on August 8, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the United States I plan to live broadcast here a deep dive conversation with test-preparation expert Brian W. Stewart, M.Ed., president of BWS Education, who is also the author of Barron’s Digital SAT Study Guide Premium 2024, which is now available. Stewart has over 30,000 hours of direct instructional experience with a wide variety of learners from all over the world. He is the author of several best-selling Barron’s books, and though we’ve already published valuable first impressions about the digital SAT, I’m eager learn from Stewart more about this new standardized testing experience and how it differs from the soon-to-be-retired paper SAT. I’ll also ask Stewart to share what he knows about plans for a future digital ACT and related topics and to give his views on the overall current admissions and standardized testing landscape – including the test-optional and test-free movement.

To view the entire conversation live or after it takes place, click the video below or view it on my YouTube channel.

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In response to the College Board’s decision to make international SAT testing digital by 2023 and all SAT testing digital by 2024, Barron’s, which is a leading publisher of test-preparation materials, announced earlier this year that it would be publishing a premium study guide for the new exam on August 1 – and August 1 has arrived.

This means the book, entitled Barron’s Digital SAT Study Guide Premium 2024 (Barron’s Educational Series, August 1, 2023), is now available, and having reviewed an advanced copy, I recommend it highly.

“Barron’s has been helping students prepare for important tests for more than 80 years,” says Angela Tartaro, director, Barron’s Publishing. “We are confident that the SAT test change to a digital format is an improvement that will benefit test-takers. But here’s one constant in a time of change: When students know what to expect on test day and have the chance to prepare and practice, they have the opportunity to do their personal best. Barron’s has worked diligently to provide quality materials written by experts, and families know they can trust our decades-long track record of preparing students for challenging tests like the SAT. We take great pride in helping all students reach their full potential.”

For those who didn’t catch it when stated earlier in this article: the digital SAT is already in use internationally, and the College Board, publishers of the SAT, will transition American test takers to the digital SAT at the start of 2024. As a result, the time is now for American students in the high school classes of 2025 and younger to start seriously familiarizing themselves with the digital SAT. International students in the high school class of 2024 (rising or current 12th grade students) who still plan to sit for the SAT also need to get up to speed on the digital SAT as soon as possible if they haven’t already done so.

In addition to the expert overview of the changes to the SAT, the book also includes updated guidance on test scoring methods that align with the new digital format, as well as advice on college admissions requirements.

“Colleges and universities are always making adjustments to admissions requirements, so it’s vital for students and their parents to have the most accurate, expert, and up-to-date information,” says Stewart. “For instance, some schools employ super scoring that takes the best section score from each time a student takes the SAT. The book helps navigate subtleties like this to maximize student performance and success.”

Practice for the SAT has always been an important part of test prep, and this comprehensive edition — available in both print and ebook formats — continues this tradition. The book contains hundreds of practice questions, advanced drills for students aiming for scores between 1400 and 1600, detailed answer explanations for all practice tests and questions, and extensive vocabulary resources to prepare for words-in-context reading questions. The book also features four full-length practice tests, including one diagnostic test to assess skills and focus studying, and one print adaptive test designed like the digital SAT.

One of the most significant updates in this guide is the inclusion of valuable online resources. Each student who purchases the book will have access to 300 targeted practice drills with scoring and a downloadable strategy guide for taking the adaptive tests, which includes tips on using the tools in the digital interface, test-preparation calendars to organize study plans, ideas for dealing with test anxiety, and more.

Stewart is enthusiastic about the benefits of these new digital assets and the new SAT itself. “We live in a digital age and these changes to how the SAT is administered are what so many test prep experts have wanted for years. This book, with its best-in-class digital resources, will set students up for success on test day.”

Barron’s Digital SAT Study Guide Premium 2024 is available now. The current Barron’s SAT Study Guide Premium 2023 will remain on sale through the final U.S. administration of the paper and pencil version of the SAT in December 2023.

SAT® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.

Battle of the Tech Titans: Caltech vs. MIT

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If you are debating between applying to (or attending) Caltech (California Institute of Technology) or MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) as an undergraduate, here are some factors I would consider before making such a momentous decision.

Enjoy this latest installment of College List Deathmatch below, and good luck!

More context about Celebrity Deathmatch and College List Deathmatch can be found here. To watch past additions of this series, click on the links that interest you below.

Penn vs. Georgetown

USC vs. NYU

University of Maryland College Park vs. Penn State University Park

WashU. vs. Northwestern

First Impressions of Digital SAT

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This article by Susan Kehl was originally published at ScoreAtTheTop.com on May 31, 2023.

You’ve likely heard that College Board is shifting the SAT to a digital format, and the transition has already begun. But questions abound: When the digital SAT will be fully available? How have the first international tests fared? What will the change mean to future test-takers?

College Board touts the changes as ‘”student and educator friendly,” emphasizing that the digital SAT is “easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant.” When College Board initially test-piloted the digital SAT, 80% of students surveyed said they found it less stressful than the paper version, and 100% of educators reported that the digital SAT was a positive experience.

The SAT will be fully digital in the U.S. by 2024, while the PSAT will be administered digitally beginning in fall 2023. The SAT is already being administered digitally to international students.

Judi Robinovitz, a Certified Educational Planner specializing in educational counseling, says initial feedback has been encouraging.

“Transitioning from a paper-and-pencil test to a fully digital version has been a monumental undertaking for College Board, but several pilot sessions helped them work out the kinks and refine the process,” she said. ”A majority of test-pilot students – as well as international students who recently took the actual digital SAT – have said the test went smoothly.”
Changes and New Features

The digital SAT will still be scored on a 1600 scale, and will still be given in schools or official test centers with proctors supervising the process. It still tests students on the knowledge and proficiencies that measure college readiness and success. A few aspects of the test, however, will be changing – for the better.

While transitioning to a digital format, College Board considered input from educators and students to help streamline the test and make it more relevant. Among the changes and new features are these:

  • The digital test is shorter – lasting about two hours, compared to three for the traditional SAT.
  • Students will have more time per question.
  • Reading passages are shorter, with only one question per passage.
  • The digital SAT has two sections: Reading and writing, and math. There’s a 10-minute break between sections.
  • The digital SAT is multistage adaptive, which means the test adapts to provide each student questions appropriate to his or her test performance level.
  • Students will receive their scores in days rather than in weeks.
  • Calculators are permitted for the entire math section. Students can bring their own or use the Desmos graphing calculator that’s built into the digital testing application.
  • The digital SAT will be readily available, regardless of a student’s access to technology. Students can take the test using their own test-compatible laptops or tablets, or use a school-issued device. If necessary, College Board can provide a device on test day.
  • Students should arrive with their devices fully charged, but devices can be plugged in and charged if necessary. If computers must be restarted, students can pick up where they left off – all work will be saved, and students won’t lose test time.
  • The Bluebook testing app times each student individually, so students may start the test, take their breaks, and complete the test at slightly different times. The break isn’t mandatory – students can keep working if they prefer.
  • Students needing accommodations will find many accommodations built into the Bluebook app, such as a text magnifier to enlarge the font size.

In addition to the in-app Desmos calculator, the digital SAT offers several useful tools including:

  • Answer Eliminator: Similar to crossing out options with a pencil and paper, students can eliminate answers on-screen with the answer-eliminate feature.
  • ‘Mark for Review’ Flag: Allows students to ‘flag’ challenging questions, move on with the test, and easily revisit flagged questions later. Students can instantly see how many they’ve marked for review instead of having to flip through pages as with the paper version.
  • Timer: Students don’t have to watch the clock – an in-app timer shows a countdown of the time remaining to keep them on pace. Students can minimize or even hide the timer if it’s distracting.
  • Reference Sheet and Annotation Features: Students can use the reference sheet tool to access a list of common formulas for the math section, and can highlight any part of a question and leave notes throughout the test with the annotation tool.

How did the first Official International Digital SAT Go?

During a recent 2023 National Test Prep Association Summit, host Sonia Muthalia of Informed Decisions and Megan Stubbendeck of ArborBridge summarized feedback they received from students who took the first official international digital SAT, administered in March 2023. The general consensus is that the tests went smoothly, were efficiently administered, and students had a positive experience.

Here’s a summary of some of the general observations and opinions reported, as well as a few practical pointers and ‘takeaways’ for future test takers:

  • Smooth Sailing: Most students agreed that the test went smoothly and said they didn’t feel added stress or anxiety due to the digital format – even when minor issues arose. Overall, students reported feeling less stressed and more relaxed because the test was shorter than the paper version and they had more time per question. Take Away: The new format didn’t seem to add to student test anxiety during the initial digital SATs.
  • Small Glitches Weren’t Disruptive: Although a few of the surveyed students experienced minor connectivity issues or other slight glitches, they said issues were immediately resolved and did not affect their ability to take the test. Students who lost connectivity were able to quickly continue without losing time. Most importantly, when one student had an issue, it did not disrupt other students taking the test. Take Away: Don’t worry about tech issues – they will be resolved and won’t impact your test.
  • Hi-Tech Proctoring: Proctors have been extensively trained to assist students with the digital format, which the surveyed students said helped ease anxiety. Much of the proctoring process is also digital, so proctors can see the progress of each student including when they start when they take breaks, and when they complete the test. Take Away: Expert assistance is available – the proctors are ready, willing, and able to help.
  • The Mac is Back: In previous test pilot sessions, Mac computers weren’t compatible with the digital SAT. The issue has been resolved, and students are now able to use Mac computers. Take Away: If you have a Mac device, you can use it for the digital SAT – but it’s still a good idea to review College Board’s list of approved testing devices before test day to confirm that your device is compatible.
  • Familiar and Comfortable: Many students said they were pleased to find that the new digital SAT app felt similar to the online practice tests they’d taken through Kahn Academy and the Bluebook testing app, so it was an easy transition – most said they felt well prepared. Take Away: If you haven’t already, download Bluebook now and begin your digital SAT practice and preparation.
  • When it came to difficulty level, opinions were mixed. Some students reported that the digital SAT was comparable to the Bluebook test, while others thought the digital test was more difficult. But all students agreed that they had a positive testing experience. Take Away: Make sure you’re fully prepared for this transition to a digital format. Thorough preparation is key so that you’re ready and know what to expect.
  • Pace Yourself: Some students were surprised to discover that – due to the adaptive nature of the test – the questions in the second module were considerably more difficult than the first module, and it threw some students off on their pacing. Take Away: When taking the digital test, be prepared for the increased level of difficulty in the second module, and pace yourself accordingly (expect to spend more time answering questions in the second module than the first).
  • Practice Makes Perfect: Although the digital SAT has a built-in Desmos graphing calculator, many students said they used their own calculators instead because they felt more comfortable with their ‘trusted and reliable’ devices. Fatima, a student who provided feedback about her experience taking the digital SAT at a Bangladesh test center, used the built-in Desmos calculator and believes it saved her time and was crucial to her success during the exam. Take Away: Because using the in-app calculator can be a faster, more efficient way to find the solution, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the in-app tools – like Desmos – ahead of time so that using them is comfortable and second nature on test day. Most experts agree that it’s beneficial to use both Desmos and your own calculator during the test (depending on the problem/equation).
  • Some students, like Fatima, said they wished there had been additional Bluebook practice exams available to help prepare for and become comfortable with the digital SAT (currently there are only four practice exams in the Bluebook app). Take Away: Use the Bluebook practice exams wisely. Instead of taking all four consecutively, spread them out by using and learning from additional test prep methods like Kahn Academy, 1600.io (Fatima recommends the Math Orange Book!), and full-length practice tests. However, because there isn’t as much practice material available as with the paper-and-pencil format, it can be a challenge for students to properly prepare on their own. Working with a test-prep tutor or Independent Educational Consultant can help students learn useful test-taking strategies, and shortcuts, how to use the in-app tools, and how to efficiently navigate the digital SAT.

Rabinowitz says that although some may have initially been resistant to the idea of a digital SAT, the transition has been smooth and successful so far – and the digital version is here to stay. She believes that because the digital SAT is an entirely new platform, effective test prep is more important now than ever.

“Be sure to familiarize yourself with the functionality of the Bluebook testing app – learn how to navigate it and make use of its time-saving in-app tools,” she said. “Take full-length practice tests to acquaint yourself with the types of questions you’ll encounter on test day, and most of all – don’t let the new format intimidate you. Just remember to relax, be confident, and do your best.”

Need help to prepare for the digital SAT? Score At The Top offers the most effective standardized test preparation available. Our test-prep programs were designed by our founder, Judi Robinovitz, who not only scored a perfect SAT score on the traditional SAT – but she also worked with Educational Testing Service (the world’s largest educational testing organization) for 23 years. Join us for free test simulations, private 1:1 tutoring sessions, small group PSAT and SAT workshops, and more.

This article by Susan Kehl was originally published at ScoreAtTheTop.com on May 31, 2023.

What 2023 Might Bring, But Probably Won’t

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January is the time of year when all kinds of people make predictions about the year to come, and the world of college admissions is no exception.  As a variation to that theme, here’s my list of responses to current issues in admissions that I know stands no chance whatsoever of happening—but if the start of the year isn’t the time to dream a little and create a little whimsy, when is?

Colleges Return to Testing  After a three year, COVID-driven experiment with test optional admissions, 125 colleges announced a return to using the ACT or SAT as part of their admissions process.  “We finally got around to creating an algorithm based on admissions trends with and without COVID that also combined our institutional priorities” said a spokesperson for this new consortium. “We spent months churching data through all kinds of models, and finally hit on one that best represents what our school stands for.  It just so happens that testing is a small factor of that mix, so it’s coming back.” Test optional advocates were stunned by the announcement, in part because most of them had no data to suggest the algorithms were wrong.  This represents the first time a change of this proportion was data driven.

Admissions Essays Monitored Online  In response to the anticipated increased use of artificial intelligence to help craft college admissions essays, Southern Michigan University announced the debut of a portal where students are required to craft their personal statement online.  Once signed into the portal, students will not be able to view another screen on their computer, or use another device to seek assistance through an AI tool.  “If corporations can develop software measuring keystrokes of their employers” said SMU’s president, “we figured there was a way to lock a student into a web site”.  Realizing the online essays may not be the same quality as those students devoted hours to in the past, SMU urges students to make comments at the end of the essay, indicating how they might improve the essay if they had more than the 90 minutes the portal allows. SMU has created a companion site for students needing accommodations for the time-based essay.

Innovative Approach Announced to Match Birth Decline  Citing the upcoming steep decline in the number of high school graduates in 2025, Bernard Cologne announced the sale of his social media platform today, planning to use the profits from the sale to provide a free college education to every student in the United States who wants one.  “I clearly wasn’t cut out to run online platforms” Cologne confessed.  “Here’s hoping the funds will encourage more students to think about college, so they can take social media to the next level, along with everything else.”

Green State Revamps Admissions Process  Green State Vice President for Enrollment Management Bill Smith has long argued every facet of the admissions process is biased towards the privileged—and now he’s about to prove it.  GSU announced it is jettisoning its entire admissions process, opting to admit all students based on one previously unused criteria—the ability to bake a cake.  “Students will log into a portal where they’ll get the recipe, and they’ll have 90 minutes to make it happen under the glare of an online camera” said Smith, a longtime fan of The Great British Baking Show.  “From our perspective, there’s no way the wealthy can game this new system.”  Smith’s hopes were almost immediately dashed when Betty Crocker announced the creation of its College Cake Baking Prep program less than an hour after GSU’s announcement.  CCBP, which has a student price tag of $15,000, will be spearheaded by British master chef Graham Rambo, who will be running a similar program for the UCAS colleges next year, where the outcome will not be a cake, but scones.  “Any teen who can do something interesting with scones doesn’t deserve to go to college” said Rambo, “they deserve to run one.”

How to prepare for the IELTS exam in a short time

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IELTS is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native speakers. IELTS can be used for a variety of purposes, such as study or work where English is a communication language.

IELTS consists of four parts: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. All three listening, reading, and writing sections are done in one day with no breaks in between. The speaking section can be completed up to a week before or after other sections, depending on the test center. Each section is scored on a 1-9 scale, with 9 being the highest score. The overall score is an average of four sections.

The test is available in two formats, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The IELTS Academic test is for those who want to study at undergraduate or postgraduate levels, and for professionals such as doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country. The IELTS General Training test is for those who want to migrate to an English-speaking country, or for those who want to study a vocational or training program.

Importance of the exam for those looking to study or work abroad

The IELTS exam is important for those looking to study or work abroad because it is widely accepted as a measure of English language proficiency by universities, colleges, and employers around the world. Many English-speaking countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, use the IELTS exam as a requirement for admission to universities or as part of the application process for work visas.

For international students, the IELTS exam is often a required component of the application process for undergraduate or graduate programs at universities in English-speaking countries. The exam scores are used by universities to determine a student’s language proficiency and to assess their readiness for academic study in English.

Challenges of preparing for the exam in a short time

Preparing for the IELTS exam in a short time can be challenging for several reasons:

Time constraints: With limited time, candidates may not have enough time to fully prepare for all four sections of the test, which can make it difficult to achieve their desired scores.

Language proficiency: To achieve a high score on the IELTS exam, candidates need a high level of English language proficiency. For those who have limited time to prepare, it can be difficult to improve their language skills in a short period of time.

Test format and question types: The IELTS exam has a specific format and question types, which can be challenging for candidates to understand and prepare for in a short period of time.

Stress and pressure: Preparing for the IELTS exam in a short period of time can be stressful, and the pressure to perform well can make it difficult for candidates to focus and perform to their full potential.

Limited resources: Candidates may not have access to all the resources they need to prepare for the test in a short time, such as IELTS preparation courses or official IELTS materials.

Assessment of your current level of English

Assessing your current level of English is an important step in preparing for the IELTS exam in a short time. This can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and set realistic goals for improvement. There are several ways to assess your current level of English, including:

  1. Self-assessment: You can take an online English proficiency test or use a self-assessment guide to evaluate your language skills. This can help you identify your current level of proficiency and determine which areas you need to focus on.
  2. Practicing with sample tests: You can take practice tests or sample questions from the IELTS exam to get an idea of your current level of proficiency. This can also help you familiarize yourself with the format and question types of the test.
  3. Talking to a tutor: You can talk to an English tutor or teacher to get an assessment of your language skills. They can give you specific feedback on your strengths and weaknesses, and help you set goals for improvement.
  4. Identifying the areas of weakness: The IELTS exam is divided into 4 sections: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Identifying the areas of weakness can be helpful in focusing on the specific areas where you need to improve.

By assessing your current level of English, you can determine which areas you need to focus on and create a study plan that addresses your specific needs. This will help you make the most of the time you have to prepare for the IELTS exam.

Study and Test-taking Strategies

Effective study and test-taking strategies are crucial for preparing for the IELTS exam in a short time. Some strategies that can help include:

Time management techniques for efficient studying

Create a study schedule that maximizes your time and allows you to focus on the areas where you need the most improvement. Use a timer to help you stay on track and make sure you are using your time effectively.

Tips for improving listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills

Tips for improving your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills for the IELTS exam:

  1. Listening:
  • Practice active listening by listening to English-language news, podcasts, and songs
  • Try to understand the main idea and key details in spoken passages
  • Take practice listening tests and focus on improving your understanding of different accents and speaking speeds
  1. Speaking:
  • Speak with native speakers as much as possible to improve your fluency pronunciation and confidence
  • Practice speaking on a variety of topics to improve your vocabulary and grammar
  • Use a mirror or record yourself while speaking to evaluate your pronunciation and fluency
  • Seek feedback from your tutor or native speakers to improve your speaking skills
  1. Reading:
  • Read English-language newspapers, books, and magazines to improve your reading comprehension
  • Practice skimming and scanning techniques to quickly find information in reading passages
  • Learn and practice high-frequency vocabulary words to improve your reading speed and comprehension
  1. Writing:
  • Practice writing on a variety of topics to improve your vocabulary and grammar
  • Learn and practice different types of writing, such as argumentative, descriptive, and narrative writing
  • Seek feedback from your tutor or native speakers to improve your writing skills
  • Keep a notebook or diary to practice writing daily

Practice exercises and sample test questions

Practicing IELTS exam exercises and sample test questions is an essential part of effective preparation for the IELTS exam. It helps to familiarize oneself with the format and timing of the exam, as well as the types of questions that are likely to be asked. Through practice, it is also possible to identify weaker areas and focus on them in order to improve performance. Additionally, practicing these exercises can help boost confidence and ensure that test-takers feel prepared for the real IELTS exam. Therefore, by taking advantage of available practice materials, test-takers can significantly increase their chances of success in the IELTS exam.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we discussed the importance of the IELTS exam for those looking to study or work abroad and the challenges of preparing for the exam in a short time. We also covered strategies for assessing your current level of English, study and test-taking strategies to aid in preparation.

Some final tips for preparing for the IELTS exam in a short time include:

  • Use official IELTS materials and past papers for the most accurate representation of the test
  • Focus on high-frequency words
  • Speak with native speakers as much as possible
  • Seek feedback from a tutor or teacher to improve your language skills
  • Stay calm and focused on the day of the test

Preparing for the IELTS exam in a short time can be challenging, but with a well-planned study schedule, the right resources, and a positive attitude, you can achieve your desired scores. Stay motivated and focused, and remember that every effort you put into preparing for the test will be worth it in the end.

A Primer for College Admissions Decisions

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We’re about three weeks away from the height of the release of college admissions decisions, the time of year when students pull their hair out either waiting to hear or musing over what they’ve heard.  Along with trying to ease student angst, college admissions veterans know they can expect an inbox full of articles featuring the following content:

  • Record High Applications at Highly Selective Schools
  • Highly Selective Schools Report New Lows in Admit Rates (yes, these two are related, but most Americans don’t understand this, thanks to the way we teach math in this country, so…)
  • Calls for Equity in Admissions Follow Record Application Year

We can expect these articles because they are written every year, partly to make an official record of what actually has happened, partly to supply some kind of solace to students who didn’t get the admissions news they had hoped (“See Son?  It was harder than ever to get in”) or to fatten the praise of those who did (“Wow!  I beat the odds in the Most. Competitive. Year. Ever!”)

To balance these “the sky is falling” articles, I write one that tries to keep everyone on an even keel, so they can provide some stability to the students and parents who are new at this, or who are doing it again, and forgot what it felt like the first time.  Hardly anyone notices the piece I write—it’s apparently more fun to be out there on rocky seas than to be safe in the harbor—but in the interest of trying to offer some support, here we go:

  • Not all applications are created equal. A college that reports a 5 percent admission rate doesn’t mean a particular student’s odds of getting in are 5 percent; it means the college admits 5 out of every 100 applications it receives.  Put another way, a student with a C average applying to Swarthmore doesn’t have the same “chance” of being admitted as a student with a 3.9.  Juniors should keep this in mind.
  • Much of the college experience depends far more on what the student puts into the experience than where they experience it. A former student was admitted to a Seven Sisters college, which then proceeded to gap her in financial aid.  She ended up at a public university, where she basically ran the Global Studies program where she earned a degree.  This included fulfilling her desire to do a semester abroad in South Africa, even though her college didn’t offer study abroad there.  She simply registered as a guest student at another college that did.  Tell me she would have had any of those opportunities at the Seven Sisters school.  Go ahead.
  • Notions of the need for change in the college admission process are overblown. It takes about 20 minutes to apply to most colleges, since they require neither essays nor teacher letters.  Since that’s about the same amount of time it takes to get to another level in Mario Brothers 812, it’s pretty safe to say most students can complete this task without life-altering stress.
  • Notions of change in the college admission process are simplistic, Part I. Admissions observers had a field day when COVID drove many competitive colleges to go test optional, a change that was gaining steam even before 2019.  Two years later, we now find a rise in “test optional strategies” from test prep advisors who will advise students on which tests to take, and which scores to send—all for a fee.  Similarly, we see some competitive colleges admitting fewer—far fewer—test optional students than those who submit scores, but deciding not to report that to the major public, since the “test optional” moniker is so highly valued.  The result?  A change that was supposed to make applying to college easier has made it harder in many cases, except at colleges where the admit rates were generous to begin with—and those are the schools where applying takes 20 minutes, and application reform wasn’t necessary.
  • Notions of change in the college admissions process are simplistic, Part II. Undeterred by the lack of real parity brought by many test optional policies, many reform advocates are now turning to essays and teacher letters of recommendation as the next parts to go in the current process.  This leads to two questions:
    • If you take out all parts of the current application process (some are even saying grades shouldn’t have to be reported), what do you replace them with?
    • Do you honestly think whatever you answered in the last question can’t also be gamed to favor the rich? Interviews?  Community Service?  Cake Baking?  Put any life experience or skill in the mix of college applications, and in a year, a horde of tutors will crop up that will give an edge to students who can afford their services.  That will be very hard to beat.
  • My annual plea for more counselor training in college counseling. If it’s safe to conclude that any admissions process will favor students who understand it, it’s reasonable to conclude it will favor any student who works with a counselor who understands it.  So, instead of changing the admissions process, how about leveling the playing field by making sure all counselors receive deep training in college counseling?  Less than 5 percent of all school counselor training programs devote any time to instruction in college counseling, and that sometimes only consists of how to register for the SAT.  Private school college counselors have greater access to professional development that keeps their already keen college counseling skills sharp.  Most public school counselors got their counselor training in a program that gave them no college counseling skills at all.  Which group needs to be better trained in the first place?

That should be all you need to make it through the media madness of the next month.  Release the hounds.

 

AP Exams Aren’t Worth the Hype and Hysteria

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Taking and doing well on Advanced Placement Exams could earn you some college credits, but they shouldn’t influence the grade you earn in your AP Classes and they rarely are factored into college admissions decisions.

Sadly, many high schools pressure students to freak out about these exams; yet, the exams themselves have limited utility to the vast majority of high school students. These exams do make the College Board and schools a lot of money.

What Needs to Change in College Admissions

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The ups and downs of the quarantine gave college admissions officers and school counselors a taste of application life to come, as the birth rate for high school graduates continues to slide, and the need to develop new approaches to recruit students increases.  As the profession continues to try and improve college access, and knowing that small differences can make a big difference, here are some considerations for both sides of the desk to ponder this summer over a well-deserved glass of lemonade:

Colleges—move your deadline dates.  November 1 (early applications), January 1 (regular applications), and May 1 (many deposits) are all big dates in the college application world—and they all fell on a Sunday or a holiday this year.  I don’t understand this, since the admissions offices weren’t open, and the vast majority of high school seniors had no access to counselors or other application helpers the day of and before the deadlines.

This needs to change.  Yes, students need to be responsible, and should learn to plan ahead—but perhaps that lesson is better applied to deadlines for things they’ve done before (like papers), not with things they are doing for the first time (like applying to college).  The first Tuesday in November, the second Tuesday in January, and the first Tuesday in May would solve this problem nicely, increasing the quality and quantity of applications to boot. Georgia Tech made the move, and they get kaboodles of applications.  It’s an easy, but important, change.

High Schools—stop working holidays.  Moving the January 1 deadline to a date when high schools are in session is also overdue for school counselors, who have taken a serious shellacking this year with all the student mental health issues arising from COVID.  School counselors have always been overworked, but never able to use the December holidays to recover, since they were expected to help their students make January 1 college deadlines.

It’s time to take a stand.  Assuming the colleges move their deadlines, counselors need to learn to let go.  Send a note to all senior families early in November, letting them know your vacation is—well, a vacation.  If you really can’t let go of your students for that long—or if the colleges unwisely cling to January 1– set two days of vacation for online office hours, and take a breath all the other days.  You have mastered online office hours this year.  Let them be your friend.

Colleges—keep innovating.  One (and perhaps the only) upside of the quarantine was the ability of college admissions offices to adapt major chunks of their traditional approach to recruitment. Test optional, drive-thru tours, and online high school visits suggested it might be OK for everyone to get their hopes up, that some real college admissions reform was in the air.

Yes.  Well.

In a post-vaccine world, we see more signs of returning to “normal” than creating new normal.  Reinventing the entire admissions process is no easy feat, to be sure, but how hard might it be for admissions offices to spend half a day this summer doing “What ifs” to one part of the application process?  Do that for five years, and you have a new admissions paradigm, and a more accessible one—the thing you say you keep wanting.

High schools— mental health and college access aren’t either/or.  I will legitimately blow my top if I read one more post from a high school counselor insisting that the increase in COVID-related mental health needs makes it impossible to do any effective college counseling.

School counseling as a profession has long been showing a mental health bias at the expense of quality college counseling, and this year just seems to have widened the gap.   Counselor training programs plant the seeds of this bias— training programs devote about 7 classes to mental health training, and none to college counseling—and all of this must stop, if only because the dichotomy is a false one.

Discouraged, depressed high school students light up like a hilltop church on Christmas Eve when I tell them college gives them a fresh start to life and learning, proof enough that college counseling affects mental health.  That, plus the American School Counselor Association says college counseling is part of the job.  Counselors truly are overworked, so they can’t do everything they want in any part of counseling.  That said, college can still be part of a key to a better self.  More counselors need to see that, and act on it.

Everyone—stop beating up on the Ivies.  The Ivies and their equally tough-to-get-into institutions largely decided to go test optional this year.  For some reason, this gave a lot of students with B averages the hope that they too could pahk the cah in the yahd, now that they didn’t have to reveal their test scores.

So—more students applied to the Ivies this year than last year.  The Ivies didn’t admit more students this year than last year.  That means their admit rate had to go down, and more students were denied.

That isn’t news—it’s math.  And if you want to blame the Ivies for encouraging students to apply who didn’t really stand a chance of getting in, you’re going to need to make a thousand more jackets for that club.  If you think the Ivies take too few Pell-eligible students, say that.  If you think they admit too many legacies, stay that.  But don’t beat them up for proving the laws of basic ratios.  Any other college in their shoes would have to do the same thing. (Besides, it’s the national media who has left our society with the impression that there are only 25 colleges in America.)

Everyone—about Kiddos.  It’s no secret that college is largely a time of youth, especially with the expansion of adolescence into the early twenties and beyond. But college is also a time to help young people embrace the opportunities of adulthood, skills and attitudes that sometimes require setting the desires of self to one side.

This goal would be more easily achieved if we saw students—and if they saw themselves– as capable of embracing a larger sense of self by referring to them as students, not Kiddos.  They don’t need to grow up in a hurry or, with the right kind of help, succumb to the media images of college choice as a high stakes pressure cooker.  But they also need something more than just a pat on the head and a verbal affirmation that’s the equivalent of a lollipop. Let’s try calling them students.

College Admissions and the Eyes of a Child

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There were only eight in the box, but Billy didn’t see it that way.  To him there wasn’t anything he couldn’t draw.  Especially anything red.  Shoes.  Birds.  Strawberries.  Even dogs.  Look at it the right way, and anything could be red.

Mrs. Struthers understood that, and loved to see Billy in class every day. Together, they discovered all kinds of things that turned out to be red.  As the year went on, Mrs. Struthers showed Billy how many other things were a mix of red and one of the other colors in his box of crayons.  By May, Billy was working with just green, and just yellow, and just about every other color.  But once kindergarten was over, it was the red crayon that had been worn down to a stub.

Coloring somehow became both less important and more important as school went on.  By second grade, the box had grown from eight to twenty-four, but there was less time to color in school.  Billy had rearranged the box to keep his favorite eight colors together, in the front row.

During one of those rare times drawing was allowed, Billy was relishing the chance to draw another cardinal, when Mr. Tyler walked by his desk.

“Cardinals aren’t really red, you know” he said.

Billy kept drawing, and looked up.  “What do you mean?”

“They’re actually their own color.  Cardinal red.  You have that in your box.  It’s in the top row of colors.”

Mr. Tyler walked away.  Billy kept drawing with red.

The last time Billy saw a box of crayons in school was fourth grade, when the box had grown to 64.  Billy had no idea what to do with a crayon named Salmon—wasn’t that a fish?—and the two named Yellow Orange and Orange Yellow looked exactly the same.  Why take up space with two crayons of the same color?  Billy brought his box of eight crayons from home.  The red was getting very small.

There wasn’t time for coloring again until eighth grade, when Billy took an art class in middle school.  The crayons had been replaced with pastels that were thicker, and moved across the paper differently than crayons.  Suddenly, Billy’s crisply drawn cardinals were fuzzy, and smeared, and looked a little more like smushed raspberries.  Billy waited until the end of class to ask his teacher about this, and how could he draw crisp cardinals with pastels.

The teacher frowned.  “We didn’t draw cardinals today” she said, “we were drawing mosaics.  Did you draw mosaics?”

Billy put his head down.  After school, he took his crayons home, and put them in the back of a desk drawer.

The counselor opened up the file on his lap and smiled.  “The career tests suggest you have an exceptional talent for art.  Have you considered a career in graphic arts?”

The student across from him stared at his blank phone screen.

“Billy, did you hear me?”

“Yeah” Billy said, not looking up.

“Your records say you haven’t taken an art course since eighth grade.  There’s room for one in your schedule next year as a senior.  What do you say?”

Billy’s eyes were frozen on the ground.

“Mrs. Jefferson is a great art teacher.  She taught me how to cross hatch.  Have you ever tried that?”

The counselor pulled out a blank piece of paper, and opened the top drawer of his desk.  It was filled with crayons.

The squeak of the drawer made Billy look up.  “They’re all green” he said.

“Yeah” the counselor chuckled, “I had this thing for green crayons when I was a kid, and it’s stuck with me all these years.  I had a couple of teachers try and talk me out of it, but when you love something, you just stick with it, you know?”

Billy looked away for a minute, then pulled out what looked like a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

“Uh, Billy—” the counselor said.

Billy flipped open the top of the box, revealing a dozen crayons of different heights.  All red.

“Do they teach art in college?”

What the death of SAT Subject Tests means for strong high school students

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What are high achieving members of the high school Class of 2022 and younger to do now that SAT Subject Tests are no more?

That’s the question many of my students have been asking me since the CollegeBoard pulled the plug on the rigorous one-hour content-based tests that at one time covered everything from Biology to Writing. In more recent years, the Writing Subject Test was subsumed into an optional section of the main SAT, but with the news that all SAT Subject Tests were being cancelled also came word from CollegeBoard that the optional Writing section of the SAT would also be canned. So much for the importance of writing, at least from the perspective of the powers that be at both the CollegeBoard and most American colleges, none of which made so much as a peep opposing the CollegeBoard’s decision to no longer attempt to assess students’ writing.

Oh well, I don’t make the rules; I simply help students play the game, and what a perverse game the American college admissions process has become.

Below are my first thoughts about what students can and should do to pump up their chances of college admission now that a very important objective measure of knowledge mastery has fallen by the wayside.