Is the SAT/ ACT right for me?
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With massive pandemic disruption to the availability of SAT and ACT testing, a new wave of colleges adopted test optional admissions policies. Most of these institutions retained their policies for at least the 2021-2022 application year, and a few have indicated extensions through 2023.
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The entire University of California System has indicated they will not return to evaluating SAT or ACT scores
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On the other hand, for 2023 and 2024, the University of California campuses will be test-blind, which means students will still have the option of submitting a test score, but that score can only be considered for purposes such as course placement, certain scholarships and eligibility for the statewide admissions guarantee.
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Know that even test optional colleges may still require scores to evaluate a student’s course placement, or consider eligibility for merit scholarships and honors programs. For this reason, it makes sense for most students to take the SAT or ACT, and have the ability to decide what to do with their scores.
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Also note that having strong scores to submit can work in your favor, even at test optional institutions:
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Some institutions that adopted new test optional policies for the class of 2021 admitted students who opted to submit test scores at slightly higher rates than their peers who applied without test scores.
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This trend was magnified in programs such as business, engineering and some other STEM fields that have traditionally relied heavily on scores as a quantitative assessment of academic strength.
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- ECCP generally recommends taking the chosen exam (SAT or ACT) two times, and generally not more than three.
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A good testing schedule might look like:
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December or March and June or August for the SAT
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December or February and June or July for the ACT
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This Winter/Early Spring & Summer exam schedule achieves a few goals:
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Importantly, it has testing out of the way before the start of the busy 12th grade year and allows you to evaluate your scores when considering your best fit.
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It also avoids testing in the month of May which can be full of AP exams for some students.
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It provides enough time between exams to meaningfully learn from your past performance and prepare in a targeted way.
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Do NOT send your scores directly to colleges on exam day:
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We advise against sending scores on exam day, as we want every student to have the opportunity to receive and evaluate their scores, then make informed decisions about which colleges they will share this information with.
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ECCP recommends bringing post test scores to our facility to review scores and create a plan to see areas of weakness and improve results for future examinations.
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Another method ECCP recommends is preparing for the SAT and/ or ACT examinations by working on practice exams and build confidence that will increase test- taking readiness.
