Why should I pay to take the SAT if universities don’t require it? Why take the SAT if my GPA is already high? Harvard doesn’t require SAT scores anymore, so does that mean it’s no longer important?

As we move into summer vacation, some high school students might take advantage of their free time to prepare for the SAT (Standardised College Admissions test). Rumored to have a strong bearing on college acceptance – as it is a measurement of one’s academic performance in relation to others in the same cohort – students dedicate a massive amount of time and effort to doing well. However, in recent years, the number of universities requiring SAT scores to be included in a student’s transcript has decreased significantly. Likewise, after COVID-19 disrupted the usual means by which students take the test, even more universities have altered their policies, effectively making SAT scores optional.

What do top universities say?

• “The SAT isn’t terribly important.” Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Duke University.
• “High test scores are not the primary test factor considered in the application process.” Jared Whittney, Executive Director of Admissions, California Institute of Technology.
• “…the SAT is not very important.” Marilyn McGrath, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Harvard University.
• “Testing is flawed…testing is biased…” Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nonetheless…

SAT scores can boost your application’s value, and help administrators identify students who will succeed. Since most transcripts only give an overview of your academic records in the larger context, an internationally recognized standardized test can provide evidence of your achievements outside school expectations. SAT scores allow universities to understand you better in cases where your GPA does not give the full story. Depending on the school community you are involved in, your test performance can set you apart from peers. For example, if you are in an underrepresented school, earning a relatively high score can help administrators identify and recognize you. High SAT scores can also increase your chances of receiving scholarships and other financial aid. Given the benefits, it is still recommended to study and include an SAT score in transcripts to better showcase your abilities. But don’t stress it! Missing an SAT score is an obstacle that can be overcome through other means.

“The SATs and other similar tests, they’re useful to us in terms of understanding a student’s academic preparation”

Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions, Duke University

KEEP READING: They’re Off To Uni! So What Comes After The Empty Nest?

Images: Pexels

Now that we are in the midst of application season, students applying for schools – boarding and university – are evaluating and re-evaluating their school choices. Many aspiring students take their aspirations when they build their list of schools, hoping beyond hope to reach their Dream School. But then the testing comes – SSAT, SAT, ACT, TOEFL/IELTS, and their list is confronted by the stark reality that their goal is now beyond reach – or is it?

At a recent conference, a panel discussion with several universities and Bob Schaeffer from FairTest.org presented about how schools that are test-optional/flexible are seeing not only an increase in applications, but more importantly no adverse decline in the quality of students nor their overall performance once in school. Fair Test lists all the schools that currently do not require test scores in evaluating students. There is a fair number of schools and lest one think that good schools are not on the list, one only needs to look to the University of Chicago! But one should also know there are over 1,000 colleges and universities which no longer request scores.

It is important to thoroughly research each school that offers this benefit before committing, as some schools may have this policy for domestic students only and there may be other caveats in place. But in the end many schools have considered a few of the following questions to determine that test scores add little value in determining whether a student is prepared for the rigors of academics at their school:

• Do the tests really have predictive validity at this institution?
• Does that validity hold for all ethnic, age, and income groups as well as for both men and women?
• Do the tests add anything significant to what admissions officers already know about applicants?
• Are test score requirements deterring potential applicants who would make suitable students?

For schools that have decided “no” to those questions, the benefits have outweighed any downside. Let’s consider the first question – do tests really predict performance? In a test-based culture where test prep runs to the extremes, one could easily conclude that students outperform the value of the test. Students become hypersensitive to their scores and constantly compare their scores to others. Which creates a vicious cycle of adding to the money machine of test prep. Schools and colleges (boarding and universities) know that the value of test scores is diluted in the frantic score race.

But what is the race for? The highly competitive race to get into one’s dream school. Then we come to the next question which addresses validity focused on income among other criteria. It goes without saying that families with more income have more money to spend on test prep. Without being too focused on some of the issues of this question there are certain types of students who do do better on standardized tests because of the benefits of living in higher income areas – better schools, better opportunities. By moving to test optional, schools can place more value on relevant aspects of a student’s application – performance in school.

Which brings us to a point that is never really talked about but inherently present – many students are enrolled in AP, IB and A Level programs at schools here. Each of these programs are considered college level in terms of their content and expectations. So, if a student is successful in achieving high grades in college-level courses, why would one need to take a 3 hour and 45-minute test to validate something they have already validated by being academically successful?

So back to the main topic of this piece – if scores don’t match what should a student do? Re-evaluate and look at a wider set of schools. Most importantly focus on the programs and courses schools offer. Check out schools that are test-optional. Know the requirements but in the end, your list of schools should have a good balance of reach, core, and foundation. It is always important to keep expectations reasonable as there are no guarantees in admission to any university of any caliber.

Hamilton Gregg is the founder of International Educational Consulting and has worked in education since 1985. He helps students and their families understand their personal and educational needs and find the right school to meet their requirements. If you are a student or parent who would like to ask Gregg a question on our blog, please email hsgregg45@gmail.com

Photos: courtesy of Hamilton Gregg, unsplash

Just months ago, Operation Varsity Blues uncovered a United States college admissions scandal, involving nearly 50 parents and members of faculty. This scandal involved a crazy combination of falsified standardized testing scores, bribes, and manufactured images of students participating in athletic activities.

These teenagers, without a shadow of a doubt, did not deserve a spot in one of the many elite colleges such as Stanford University, the University of Southern California, and Yale University. This falsification allowed unqualified students to take the spots of students who worked hard and who would have been accepted otherwise. The scandal, which included bribing test proctors to change student’s scores and paying coaches to recruit students as part of a sports team were entirely, immoral, illegal, and unacceptable.

However, these underhand measures are not the only ways in which students gain a helping hand in increasing the probability of securing a coveted place at an elite school. Other factors, such as college counseling, SAT tutoring, and even just going to a school where there are more opportunities, will increase someone’s chances of being accepted into their dream school. What is the problem here? Not everyone has access to these options.

For the majority of us, going to an international school is already a sign of privilege. Our parents pay large amounts of money for us to attend high quality international schools, many of which specialize in college preparation—money that a majority of families cannot afford to pay. Going to an international school opens up a million different ways of getting a boost on college applications. We have a wide range of extracurricular activities, from sports and arts, to speech and debate that we can choose from to build the perfect profile for ourselves. We have many challenging curriculums, like Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) and a wide range of classes that most other students don’t have access to.

In addition to this, we live in an environment where there are ample resources and experienced teachers in our schools to support our learning needs. The same cannot be said for many other schools. This already puts us, as international students, at an advantage.

For US colleges to decide who is accepted, a significant factor that admissions officers consider is a student’s standardized testing scores. These scores are meant to judge a student’s academic ability objectively; however, in reality, standardized testing is a judge of how much time, money, and effort we can put in. For example, paying for extra coaching and academic support is not a problem for us, and most students from an affluent background are not required to work a part-time job to help ease the pressure of paying for school or student supplies.

This leaves them with much more time to study than someone who has to work to support their family. Most standardized tests, like the SAT, are incredibly coachable, and those who can spend more than $800 on preparatory courses will have an advantage, according to the National Center for Fair Testing. As international school students living in Beijing, we can access a wealth of these programs, which give us an extra advantage.

What we can see here is that the US college admissions system is broken. College is meant to be the great equalizer, yet the admissions system is anything but equal. We, as international students, already have a much higher chance of getting into our dream schools than many others. When we work extremely hard to get what we want, chances are we will achieve that goal. For some others, no matter how hard they work, systematic barriers and socioeconomic factors get in the way of them reaching their goals. Dissolving this inequality would require an entire overhaul of the US admissions system, and as international students, we have no say or power in this situation. However, we must still understand the inequality that plagues the system and the position of privilege we have.

This article appeared in the beijingkids July-August 2019 Teen Takeover issue

A child’s school lies at the center of their life, second only to family as the place where they grow, learn, play and make friends. We’ve taken a look back at some of the events and stories from Beijing’s international schools during 2018.

The educational year began, of course, with the Jingkids International School Expo 2018 (JISE 2018). (Learn more about the 2019 event here.) Among the hot topics under discussion was the shortage of graduates in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math):

Shortage of STEM Graduates “a Crisis in Education,” Says Speaker at Beijing International School Expo 2018

In May, artist William Boyd, an old Harrovian, visited Harrow Beijing to talk about his creative work and collaborations:

June 2018 School News: BSB, Shunyi Collaborates with MIT, DCB’s “Sounds of Spring,” and More!

Our most-read education story of 2018 concerned the financial crisis at Beijing BISS International School (BISS). We’re happy to report that the school was saved and is returning to normality.

“No Soap, No Pencils”: Former BISS Teachers Describe Life at Crisis-Hit School

August was an important month for the British School of Beijing, Sanlitun (BSB Sanlitun), as they opened their state-of-the-art new Early Years building, the Li Building:

Space to Grow: BSB Sanlitun’s New Early Years Building Has the School’s Values Built In

And the new school year rang in the changes for several schools, with new principals or co-principals at BSB Sanlitun, 3E International School, the International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB), and Yew Chung International School Beijing (YCIS Beijing).

September 2018 School News: New Leaders, New Facilities

In September our columnist Hamilton Gregg reported on the chaos surrounding the SAT and ACT, tests used by US colleges to make decisions on admission. (Note: although these acronyms originally stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Testing, they now officially don’t stand for anything.)

Old College Try: More Testing Chaos

Amid a competitive academic environment which can be stressful for young people, the city’s international schools are leading the way in highlighting the importance of the mental and emotional health of their students. Harrow Beijing held a “Well-Being Week” from October 29 to November 2, sharing a theme with World Mental Health Day 2019: “Youth in a Changing World.”

December 2018 School News: Well-Being and Sports in Focus!

And the year ended on a high for Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) and Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), with both schools shortlisted in two categories at the prestigious International School Awards:

Beijing Schools Shortlisted for Prestigious Awards

Photo: coventrytelegraph.net

From the last time I wrote about standardized testing more has transpired. Both SAT and ACT have had more issues.

Let’s start with SAT. After the report that the August test had been compromised scores have been released. There seems to be an inordinate number of students with whom I am associated one way or another who scored very well on the test.  I raised the issue of the testing situation with some university representatives a week or so ago and the question was raised whether schools would be skeptical of the scores students received.  While not entirely skeptical, the reps did say they would take the overall situation into account when considering scores from the August test.

Further along those lines, not everyone who took the test has received their scores. Placing them in no man’s land wondering if their scores will be released or cancelled.  So once again, students are paying the price for an issue caused by College Board.

At the beginning of last week, in Florida, a student filed a Class Action suit against College Board and ETS (the test administrators). The interesting thing is that the lawsuit claims, “Rather than accept the responsibility and acknowledge its errors, the College Board, and by association, ETS, appear to blame students for their failure to keep the exam secure.”* Which is interesting that both organizations responsible for the test are blaming students for recycled test questions. More on the lawsuit can be found in this article from the Washington Post, and the quote is from the piece by Valerie Strauss.

What is also quite interesting is that College Board and ETS are very aware of how test prep companies get ahold of the material and yet are blaming students for what students do for any test – prepare. And when the stakes are high, they will go where they think they can get the best advice or information.

Now on to the ACT fiasco. This last Saturday was the first ACT online test. Held around the world schools were frantically working with their in school Technical staff to get the platform up and running. Lest one think that this all went smoothly, it did not. Aside from technical glitches that forced students to be unable to complete one section of the test and move on to the next section and losing time trying to sort it out, students had their registrations cancelled. One of the functions –the Pause button, that would allow students to pause the test if there was a technical issue during the test, had been disabled for all international test centers. No test administrator had been forewarned and when calling the help line, some administrators were told to unplug the computer.

Schools that offered the ACT were sent this:

“Important message from ACT: As you know, ACT conducted its first two days of computer-based testing at our international ACT test centers this weekend. The large majority of international examinees were able to successfully complete their ACT test and appreciated the new format. Some international test centers, however, did experience technical and administration issues that unfortunately prevented some students from completing their test. ACT takes these issues very seriously, and we sincerely apologize to those students impacted by them. We understand the importance of ACT scores to students, and we are diligently working to determine the best options for affected students. These options may include retesting, arranged testing, and rescheduling to a future test date. We will be working individually with each impacted student in the coming week to determine which option best meets their needs. Thank you.”

At the heart of all this is the anxiety that students feel in what is already an insane process. They go forward wondering if they will be able to take a test, whether the test conditions will allow them to finish, whether their scores will be released or the test cancelled. As mentioned previously the students are the victims here. I do not think that the SAT event was one of cheating, as in previous occurrences. The August mess is on College Board. ACT, well, one might forgive an inaugural event, but really! Sort the issues out the Spring before, not the first test of the testing season.

I feel for the students, but I also place a bulk of the blame on universities and colleges, which still require standardized testing. Yes, I know there are some schools that have to use scores, but in reality they are quite few in comparison.

Calling all colleges and universities – It’s time to stop subjecting students to this chaos!

Photo: ivywise.com

In the last couple of days, testing agencies have come under the microscope. Both College Board (CB) and ACT are creating a bit of havoc with students, counselors, and universities.

Last Saturday was the first SAT test of the year, but not internationally. CB last year started to reduce the number of tests internationally but opened August in the US. The pressure on seniors to get testing completed before the beginning of the application season made the US a potential testing destination for Chinese and other international students who could afford the time and the money to test abroad. There is also the rumor, and certainly just a rumor, that certain test dates are easier than others. While there is no substantiated information to correlate this, the rumor still exists.

Back to the topic. Apparently, the test last Saturday was the same or had a number of the same, questions as the October 2017 international test. Almost as soon as the test was completed outcries of cheating spread through social media and the Internet. “It’s unfair,” “some students had an unfair advantage,” and more have come from a number of corners. CB, on the other hand, said little until Monday. Always keeping “test security” as their ace in the hand, CB had little to say other than scores will be released as usual.

What is so odd about this event is that CB is the one responsible for the use of the test. It should be hardly surprising to them that international students can and will take any test possible. From their own data, they should know that students traveled to the US last August. Also, they should know from past experience that their data – test questions are available through a variety of means. They should also know that whole tests are available, for the right price, to anyone willing to pay. This has been a point of contention for the last decade. Are students to blame? Not so sure.

And finally, the CB should know that recycling test questions is something that drives everyone nuts. Many critics of the SAT cannot understand why the CB insists on recycling test questions. The CB maintains that in order to have concordance between tests and to have viable scores, there need to be base questions to substantiate and validate each test. For some, that falls on deaf ears.

What is hard to understand is that the CB will not cancel the test from last Saturday? Are they worried about lost income? Saving face? Hard to tell, but what it has done is once again put the SAT in the crosshairs of universities. Anyone following the news over the last couple of months will notice that a number of schools have changed their testing requirements – either dropping the Writing section of the test or going completely test optional for students. The CB has put another nail in their own coffin.

ACT, on the other hand, is in the process of putting their test online. Yesterday one school spent over 4-hours and still could not sort out the process of getting their school up and running as a secure test site. The ACT has provided little if any information to high schools about the new testing procedures, the requirements of what it takes to be a test center and most concerning, the availability of the Act for this year’s seniors.

One would think that testing companies would be open and forthcoming to seek the guidance and assistance of its stakeholders – schools and colleges. Yet, they continue to hide behind “test security” as the primary and sole response. In the end, it leaves seniors concerned, anxious and rightly so. Testing is a center and focal point for many students looking to apply to college. They are the guinea pigs and subject to an unending series of abuse, misdirection, and confusion.

I am all for test security. It is important. But when will everyone wake up to the fact that this machine is broken. Colleges and Universities should be screaming from the rooftops! Students should also voice their opinions about the lack of validity of testing. While I am for test security, I no longer believe and have for some time, that standardized testing cannot measure up to what a student does every day in school. There must be a better way. Hopefully, if enough voices are raised, more schools will go test optional. For a list of all the schools which are test optional go to Fairtest.org. Students should be careful and check each school’s policies on test-optional qualifications.

Photo: www.insidehighered.com

Students in the Junior year are taking on the monumental task of being a Junior. With the month of May just at the onset, exams of all sorts are starting to take place. There is no doubt that students at this stage of high school are confronted with an enormous set of tasks. “There’s too much to do!” and “How do I prioritize?” and “How do I manage?” are all questions running through students’ heads. So what’s the big deal? Lots!

The Junior year is the linchpin to college applications. This is, for many students, the last set of grades many colleges will see when making decisions on applications, particularly if a student is applying under any Early scheme of admissions. While it is impossible to significantly raise one’s GPA, students can set a mark by showing the stuff they are made of this last term of the year.

“Why can’t I raise my GPA?” Well for one thing if you been in a school for the two or three previous years, a student (under a semester system) would have 5 semesters of GPA calculations weighing against one (if said student entered the school in Grade 9). A student who started in Grade 10, would have three semesters, but even still turning one’s intellectual jets on this last term can only marginally impact GPA. This is not to say that a student should throw in the towel. Absolutely, put the nose to the grindstone and nail those final exams. Lots of schools look to see improvement over time, maturity in taking school seriously and focus, even if it comes late in one’s high school career.

May is the month when not only final semester exams loom but also AP or AS Level exams start. Depending on what curricula a student is taking these exams are where a student shows the culmination of their work over the semester. However, students need to be aware that results on an AP or AS exam do not get calculated into GPA (some schools may do this but…), nor do they replace a poor grade in that class. (If that is the case, universities will wonder why you did so well on the exam, but what were you doing during class?).

These exams are important and a student should definitely focus on doing well. Managing one’s time, keeping organized and focusing on each exam is an important and sometimes daunting task. It is important to wisely spend one’s time going to review sessions with teachers, utilizing study groups, and ensuring competence in the subject areas you will be examined on. Never assume you know what you think you know. Double check, triple check and nail those exams!

May is also a time for SAT exams, another marker for university applications. For students who have been preparing since the October PSAT and a winter SAT (December or January) it is possible that this could be your final SAT, maybe. Depends on how you do, of course. Your college counselor should be able to let you know if you have one more test in your system, once results come back in a couple of weeks. However, it should be noted that most students do have one more test in them. This one is for the October SAT. (A reminder, a student should NEVER take more than 3 SAT I exams.) If you are an ACT student, the advice above also applies.

Hopefully, you are not in the situation where you have not taken an SAT yet. But if you are, it’s ok. This is an important SAT and it means that you have a fair amount riding on this test. Why is it an issue? Well for starters, this is going to be your baseline test. There is no other evidence to stand on to see where your scores will go, especially if you have not taken a PSAT or PLAN (the equivalent for the ACT). By just having this test, it challenges your college advisor to help with your list of schools.

If you are the unfortunate student who did not get the news that there is no longer any SAT I in June for International students, well ouch. If you have no previous tests under your belt, and are thinking of applying Early to a college, you now only have one chance (October) to perform well on the SAT. That is a very tough place to be. “But, my mock SAT/ACT tests show…” Mock tests are not the same. The materials are different, the setting is different, and the whole situation is completely different than taking the real deal. Most students outperform on practice tests. This is not evidence enough to rely on heavily, if at all.

June is a great time to take SAT II, but only if schools on your list require, recommend or state they are optional. There is no need to take an SAT II if you don’t meet the conditions above. By the way, performance on an SAT II definitely does not cover a poor grade. How could an hour-long exam equal a grade earned over a year?

Finally, as a Junior you need to be focusing on building your college list, starting your application essays – Common Application released the new Personal Statement essays last month. At very least, students should be brainstorming ideas on what they will write about.

So, yes, Junior year is a mass of things to get done. Don’t make the mistake of focusing on one item at a time. Divide your day up in to hours and tasks. Do a little bit of everything, every day.

As we enter this important season, work well, keep organized and with both of these things as a focus, you should be in great shape for summer!

SAT and TOEFL Breached
Just the other day, news agency Thompson Reuters, posted an article about SAT and how College Board knowingly recycled tests in China and that, despite increased security measures, even the new Revised SAT will be compromised. Last year, the Chinese version of Newsweek, posted an article about how a reporter was able to purchase online a mechanism that held answers to the TOEFL test.  ETS has amazing security, from voice recognition to using students’ photos to identify the test taker.

When the Reuters article broke there was a immediate backlash from counselors around China. Personally, I stated that I was both disgusted and disheartened by the news. Even though I have known of the “breaches” and lived through the anxiety with my students over cancelled tests and delayed scores, this news, while not truly new, reaffirmed my conviction that testing on the level of SAT, TOEFL, and even SSAT is no longer truly valid.

No Longer A Level Field
To what extent does the leaked information go? Who really knows, but the reality is that the information is available to any student, whether they know it or not, if they are engaged in test preparation. Granted this is a generalization, and certainly not all test takers are “cheaters.” But the facts, as pointed out in the article, are that testing is compromised. If we go on that premise, what is the real value of standardized testing? Even if a majority of the test takers in Asia do not use errant methods, how can one truly ascertain the validity of their tests when put up against those who did use illicit means?

In my day-to-day work, I have students who have avoided test prep, and yet when compared to their applicant pool in the admission process they come out wanting. Their scores are not competitive and so they lose out in one way or another. But even still, students who may have come across real test material during their preparation are less competitive compared to those who used more aggressive prep providers.

What is further infuriating is whether a school, reading the application, is aware on any level of the unbalanced tests scores they are using. For a minute, lets assume they have no idea, and they are looking at scores without bias. Certainly with students presenting promising scores combined with grades and other materials, admission committees are accepting at face value what they see. Is that fair? Perhaps one could argue that given holistic review, one could say “sure”, but not really.

If admission committees accept that scores are skewed, to what extent do they count scores in the admission process? Do they down grade overall test scores? Subtract a percentage? To what extent is that fair?

Members of the school counseling arena have been decrying the testing environment in Asia for quite some time. Yet, universities and other schools continue to use testing as a factor in admission. Knowingly or not, they are complicit in the high stakes pursuit of “talented” youth. From ranking to accepting tainted scores, everyone marches on as if there is nothing to really do about it. Universities accept College Board and ETS practices, continue to use test scores in the admission process. High schools continue to administer the tests, hoping that students have not gained an unfair advantage in one way or another, all the while hoping that their students will score to gain entry to more selective schools. And the wheel goes around and around, year by year.

My question is this – when will everyone agree that this is not that answer? When will all the stakeholders say enough is enough? High schools are at the mercy of a broken system, yet those with the ability to make change – those on the receiving end of applications – continue to proceed as if nothing is wrong. Or if is wrong, make little effort to change. And, by the way it is not just an Asian problem. The system is broken, and no one seems capable of finding an appropriate fix to solve it.

We can all agree that the admission process is unfair, especially for highly selective schools. Counselors, parents and students, particularly this time of the year cry about how they did not get into their “dream” school with amazing resumes and materials to back up their applications. But if the system is broken from a fundamental level, and we all know it, why do we continue to rant and rave when it does not work in “our students” favor?  Blind faith?

Coming this April is the new Coalition application, which is supposed to change the playing field. Yet, I know of no counselor who has any idea what the application looks like or how the application will work. The Coalition has been particularly mute on the subject. But what will really change? It seems as if there is now just another thing to worry about, another system to game, continuing the inequality of the application system.

Elite schools will not change to become more inclusive. Why? They cannot accept all the qualified students who apply, even if the system did not have its major flaws. Yet, overall, until those who control the admission process take a stand and create true change, we will all continue to bemoan the system, roll our eyes, and march forward, hoping that one day it will change.

Real change will happen when ranking disappears and other means of evaluating students come into play – like performance on AP, IB, A Level and other measures of student ability that have true meaning, even interviewing students through processes like IntialView and Vericant. Schools should be applauded that have changed their admission criteria by becoming test optional or schools like NYU that have multiple entry criteria. Schools that are willing to go against the grain of a process and lead, not accept status quo.

Break free and lead! Bring some sanity back to the admission process. Please!

Photo: Diablomag.com

There is a lot to look forward to as we enter 2016. It promises to be a very chaotic year as we consider the upcoming events – The Revised SAT, The Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, changes in China regarding international education and the big event, the US Presidential election. While I will not comment on the latter, the other events unfolding deserve comment.

Starting in May of this year, the revised SAT will debut overseas. In the US it will come in March. Many students and their parents are already scrambling to sort out what this will all mean for applications in the coming year. Will it have an effect? Most likely, partly because it is new and there are significant changes. If you are unaware of what those changes will be, I encourage you to go to collegeboard.com or khanacademy.com to see what is coming.

Many students have been trying to pre-empt taking the new test by cramming in the old tests the last couple of months. Most students will find, however, that they cannot avoid the new version. Since many students will have taken the test several times and they will be depleting their options. Students who take the test more than three times will serve notice to the schools they are applying to that they are focusing on the old test. And while most universities have not really defined what they propose to do with the variety of test scores they will be receiving, a student may be sending upwards of five test scores – three old and two new. Sadly, the time students will be wasting may have some impact on the most valuable part of their application – school.

But the problem has been compounded by the fact that College Board cannot seem to get scores out from previous tests. November 2015 SAT scores where just released over the holidays and December, well, we hope to see the soon. Further, for those students who took the PSAT, their scores may also arrive soon, another delay presented by College Board.

What does this all mean? More anxiety, more frustration and more complexity to the application process. It also places students in an uncomfortable position of not being able to plan ahead. Most Grade 11 students will soon begin the arduous task of researching and otherwise preparing for next year. It will be a rare student who has old SAT scores who can march forward. Other students, having to take the Revised SAT, have no idea what is coming. Students who had the foresight to take the ACT are most likely in pretty good shape. But since the ACT is not really offered on the Mainland, there is an added stress. What remains to be seen is how everyone – students and colleges – sort all of this out.

I have already written about the Coalition, but one thing is true – the Coalitions intentions are good, the process and the actual reality of what the application and website will look like remains to be seen.

So we come to the final piece of this article; changes coming from the Chinese government to the international programs make it is clear that China wants to reinvigorate their education system and retain some of the lost brain drain. But they have much to do. Even with curricular changes to the GaoKao and forcing international divisions to unlink from the main schools will only create confusion. It seems unclear what definitive steps are being taken to ensure confidence in the education system. And while deriding the effect of “western values” Mainland schools will need to provide an education that meets future skills and acumen for the coming generation of students employed in a 21st Century China. At the moment, the 400,000+ students seeking education around the world have more confidence elsewhere than at home.

The New Year always brings a regeneration of ideas and resolutions. It seems that the near future is presenting conflicting challenges as family looks to understand what all these changes will mean now and into the future. My resolution for the New Year is to keep a level head. Most people do not like change. It creates a certain amount of uncertainty that promotes decisions, which are rash and often unsupported. So, while keeping a level head, I also plan to keep it simple; a great rule of life. Keeping it simple, provides space to keep a level head. Happy New Year!

Photo: pixabay