Category Archives: test optional

SAT, standardized tests, test optional, test prep

Standardized Test Tips for Parents

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standardized test tips

Yes, I said parents. Because let’s face it, standardized test prep and test taking will stress the entire household, even the parents. Nancy Berk, author of “College Bound and Gagged” describes it like this:

“Standardized testing can turn your life upside down. In the college-bound process, standardized testing runs at the top when it comes to parent and student stress.”

It’s no secret among parents that the test causes most of us to shake in our boots. We shake because we know the importance that test scores will play in admissions and even scholarships. Knowing this, you can do some things to alleviate the stress and assure that both you and your student emerge from the process unscathed.

Here are a few standardized test tips to help ease the stress and pressure.

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admissions, standardized tests, test optional

Test-Optional Colleges: Should Your Student Submit ACT or SAT Scores?

test-optional colleges

Over the past few years, many colleges shifted to test-optional admissions, meaning students are not required to submit standardized test scores such as the SAT or ACT.

At first glance, this sounds simple: if your student doesn’t want to submit scores, they don’t have to. But the reality is more nuanced. In many cases, submitting scores can still strengthen an application, while in other situations it’s better to leave them out.

For parents of college-bound teens, the key question becomes: Should my student submit their test scores even if the college is test-optional?

Here’s how to decide.

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admissions, college planning, standardized tests, test optional

College Administrators Weigh In on Admissions

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college administrators

As the parent of a college-bound teen, you want to know what college administrators think about admissions practices. Knowledge is power and you can use it as your student begins to apply to colleges. If you know what the colleges are focusing on and what administrators consider important, your student will have useful information as they apply.

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admissions, standardized tests, test optional, test prep

Test Optional–What You Need to Know

test optional

Does your student want to avoid taking a standardized test? Do they bomb them every time they take them? Are you hesitant to pay for a test prep tutor? Good news. There are hundreds of schools, large and small, who will use the SAT or ACT for placement only or other minimal requirements.

Due to the 2020 pandemic, most colleges became test-optional because students were unable to take standardized tests. Rumors abound that this will have a future impact on the value colleges place on standardized tests or eliminating the test requirement altogether.

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