HHS Junior College Admissions Night (3.10.22), Parent FAQs, Part I: College Exams

Hi families and students, we are nine days away from our HHS Junior College Admissions Night 2022. As part of the registration process, we have welcomed junior families to ask questions that may not be addressed in our upcoming presentation.  Below are some recent FAQs, as well as a short video about college testing. Please note that the webinar is only offered to eleventh-grade students and their parents/guardians, however, the FAQs may be helpful to read regardless of your child's grade.

PARENT FAQs, PART I: College Exams

When should the SAT or ACT be taken by?

Students should take at least one test of the spring of their junior year, and they could re-test in the fall (August/September) to be eligible for most early action deadlines. Be mindful that some southern colleges have early action deadlines of October 15th.

Is it worth taking the SATs or ACTs anymore?

We recommend that a student take at least one college test in the spring of the junior year. Even though many colleges are test-optional, some still require them. It’s better to get a test under one’s belt now rather than panicking/scrambling at the last minute. Please go to sat.org or act.org to register, and make sure that your child knows the username and password in case they need access at school.  Additionally, here is a doc listing all testing dates for 2022, as well as helpful tips and resources.

Will schools remain test-optional?

We hope so!!! However, it is still too early to predict what might happen; some colleges are committed to remaining test-optional until 2026 (or so) to track data to see if removing a testing barrier impacted the quality of the students admitted during their test-optional phase.

It is advisable to submit SATs/ACTs to colleges even when they may not be required?

It is advisable to submit scores if the student’s SAT/ACT is average or above the college’s published criteria so it is likely that your child sends scores to some schools but not all of them.  Additionally, it is important to note that some colleges may offer merit money to students whose scores are above the average so gaining a scholarship is always a plus!

How large of a role do SAT and/or ACT scores play in admissions?

In rank order, the most significant factors that admissions officers consider (in order of importance) are grades in academic classes, strength of one’s curricula, standardized tests, the college essay, the school counselor secondary school report, teacher recommendations, and the resume. If one does not submit college exams, admissions will heavily focus on the more subjective parts of the application (e.g. essay(s), recs, and the resume).

What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT?

Please watch Drew Heilpern of Summit Educational Group (time code = 18:35) to understand the difference between the tests.