Keep Calm and Test on

For many of us, we headed into the New Year wondering how the recent shift from the ACT to the SAT would affect our strategy for applying to colleges. In the Colorado Department of Education’s haste, school administrators, parents and students expressed dismay at the speedy shift and its impact on student preparation.

 

After the New Year, the drama thickened as administrators scrambled to identify who would have standing to challenge the decision in court.

 

But just as quickly as the SAT decision was made, we learned that students will again take the ACT for one more year and transition to the SAT in the Spring of 2017.

 

Not surprisingly, this fire drill created unnecessary angst among many parents and students looking ahead to their college planning. As I told many of my clients, “Our strategy remains intact.”

 

Even as the ACT and even the SAT alter their content, my goal continues to be to find the most suitable roadmap for each individual student. While these tests remain part of a prospective student’s journey, they each play a role, but don’t dictate, the strategy.

 

So now that the fire drill is over, remember to keep calm and test on.