As of January 19, 2021, College Board announced a couple of major changes to the SAT. They will permanently eliminate the SAT Subject Tests and the optional essay. They will provide two more administrations, in May and June of 2021, of the SAT Subject Tests for international students. The company stated that, “As students and colleges adapt to new realities and changes to the college admissions process, College Board is making sure our programs adapt with them. We’re making some changes to reduce demands on students.” They further added, “The pandemic accelerated a process already underway at College Board to reduce and simplify demands on students.” Those U.S. students that have signed up for these tests will automatically have their registrations canceled and be fully refunded.
SAT Subject Tests Discontinued
As AP exams are now more widely utilized and cover an array of subjects, College Board stated that the SAT Subject Tests no longer offer the same value for assessment as they once did. The colleges and universities that once utilized SAT Subject Tests as part of their admission process will adjust their policy to account for the changes.
Optional SAT Essay Discontinued
Students who are currently registered to take the optional Essay portion along with their SAT will be able to test for it through the June 2021 administration date. Those who want to cancel the optional Essay portion can do so through their online accounts, until the registration deadline, without incurring any change fees. After June 2021, the Essay will only be a part of the SAT School Day administrations, in certain states. College Board stated that it is discontinuing the optional Essay because “…there are other ways for students to demonstrate their mastery of essay writing, and the SAT will continue to measure writing throughout the test.”
What’s Next?
College Board is working on digitizing the SAT test. With the current pandemic, and the difficulty of conducting in-person testing, they have substantially put effort into figuring out how to make the test accessible in times such as these. They state they will release further details in spring 2021.
How Does this Impact You?
This new policy will have a great impact on those applying for 2021-2022 college admissions along with those students that will apply thereafter. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most colleges and universities were already not requiring SAT Subject Test scores as part of their application. Now, given the latest news from College Board, it’s our thought that schools will indefinitely extend these policies as they move forward. The downside is of course for those who have already taken the tests and done well on them. Unfortunately for these students, the tests will no longer hold anything substantive to help to give them a competitive edge during the admissions cycle as they once did. However, if you want to be certain, it’s best to contact each individual program directly to determine how quickly they’re adjusting to the new College Board policy.
As the SAT Subject Tests and optional SAT Essay portion are being discontinued, it’s important to keep in mind that this means that the actual SAT, AP exams, GPA, college application and essays, and extracurriculars will carry even more weight for admissions. Therefore, it’s imperative that each student really focuses and does as well as they possibly can to increase their score when it comes time to take the SAT and AP exams. As future college applicants work on establishing and creating their admissions profile, it’s vital that they stay informed of any and all changes that may impact them.
At Dolphin Academic Prep, we take the extra step to inform our students and parents of these changes so that the test-taking experience is as seamless and productive as possible. If you have any further questions or would like more information about the SAT changes on the horizon, you can visit the College Board website at collegeboard.org or you can contact us at 646.490.5075. We are here to help you succeed!