The ACT announced major changes to their college admissions test to begin in spring 2025 for online exams, and spring 2026 for in school-day testing. The new version will be shortened from three hours to two hours, will have 44 fewer questions with shorter reading and English passages, and the science section will be optional. However the new ACT will not be using an adaptive format like the new version of the SAT.
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Inside Higher Ed reports that there is a recent increase in the number of higher education state systems offering direct admission to college. There is no application process in direct admissions. Students and/or counselors compile a portfolio of academic information including high school courses taken, GPA, test scores, areas of interest, as well as geographical preferences. The colleges then use these to decide whether to extend an admissions offer.
Proponents of the policy say it is an affordable way to combat declining enrollment and removes a barrier for students who might otherwise not consider college. It is also a way to diversify an institution’s student body, with some schools showing an increase in minority students as well as males among admitted students. Currently 10 states use system-level direct admissions, including Idaho, South Dakota, Minnesota, Vermont, Georgia, Indiana and Wisconsin. The majority of the colleges and universities implementing direct admissions are a state’s regional institutions and are not highly selective. The flagship colleges and a few other more competitive satellite campuses currently have not opted in to the program, but that could change in the future. For more information, see Inside Higher Ed’s article. Colleges are enrolling more students on the autism spectrum. However, one-third of the graduates with autism are not finding jobs. Here is how Rochester Institute of Technology is trying to change that with their Career Ready Bootcamp.  Headed to college as a freshman? U.S. News & World Report lists some of the potential pitfalls to avoid. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/dont-make-these-mistakes-as-a-college-freshman  The current administration is striving to make student loan relief programs work for everyone. Efforts to revise IDR(Income-driven repayment plan) regulations will produce substantially more affordable monthly payments for millions of borrowers. Recent actions complement steps the administration has already taken within its first year to cancel more than $17 billion in debt for 725,000 borrowers in addition to extending the student loan payment pause, saving 41 million borrowers billions of dollars in payments each month. The Department has now approved approximately:
To protect students and taxpayers from predatory or low-value colleges, the Department has also restored the FSA Office of Enforcement and started efforts to strengthen key rules including borrower defense to repayment and gainful employment. The situation is continually updating so stay informed regarding these changes. For further information see the U.S. Department of Education and Federal Student Aid.  New and Noteworthy - SAT Going Digital Starting with the Connecticut School Day SAT this March 20223/4/2022
Collegeboard has announced that the SAT exam will move from the traditional paper and pencil format to a digital format. The format change is scheduled to roll out internationally next year and nationally in the U.S. in 2024. However, Connecticut will utilize the new digital version this March 23 - 25 and 29 - 30, 2022 for the Connecticut School Day SAT for current juniors in high school. The digital version will also shave an hour from the current version, bringing the reading, writing and math assessment from three hours to about two. Test-takers will be allowed to use their own laptops or tablets but they'll still have to sit for the test at a monitored testing site or in school, not at home. Calculators will be allowed on the entire Math section, and scores will be available in days, rather than weeks, still on the 400-1600 point-scale. They have designed the test software so that if there are battery or internet connectivity issues, the test will be saved and the student can return to it without losing their work. For a full description of what aspects of the new digital SAT will stay the same and what will be different, see Collegeboard's SAT Suite of Assessments https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/digital?SFMC_cid=EM669978-&rid=124890901 At one time essential for college applications, scores from admission tests like the SAT and rival ACT carry less weight today as colleges pay more attention to the sum of student achievements and activities throughout high school. There has also been criticism that the exams favor wealthy, white applicants and disadvantage minority and low-income students, and an increasing number of colleges have adopted test-optional policies in recent years, which let students decide whether to include scores with their applications. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the trend as testing sessions were canceled or inaccessible. However, the SAT and ACT are still deeply ingrained in the American high school experience. More than a dozen states require one of the exams to graduate, and prior to the pandemic 10 states plus Washington, D.C., had contracts with the College Board to offer the test during the school day for free to their students. Nearly 80% of bachelor’s degree-granting institutions are not requiring test scores from students applying for fall 2022, according to a December tally by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, a watchdog group that opposes standardized testing. The group, known as FairTest, said at least 1,400 of them have extended the policy through at least the fall 2023 admissions cycle.  Jeff Selingo, author of Who Gets in and Why, a Year Inside College Admissions, posted recently about how important relationships are to the higher education experience for college students. Many colleges historically have set up structures for students to get those relationships, such as living-and-learning communities, first year experiences, and assignment of mentors. However, during the pandemic it has been difficult for students to access these connections due to online or hybrid learning as well as social distancing with cafeteria restrictions and campus activities being severely curtailed. The sense of isolation for many students has led to frustration, anxiety and depression. Going forward it is ever more important to evaluate opportunities for students to be connected to their peers and faculty when researching colleges. Some colleges are modeling cohort groups based on athletic teams, where student groups with shared interests work together toward a goal in a structured setting under the guidance of a coach. Other colleges are trying various creative means to enhance a students’ engagement. An independent educational consultant can often help families find colleges that are working on increasing connectivity and support for their students in these difficult times.  Each year the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens on October 1st for the following year’s college entrance. It is usually advisable to complete the FAFSA, even if you do not feel your family will qualify for need-based aid. Many colleges require the FAFSA to be completed before they will offer students their own institutional scholarships. For the 2022-23 school year the opening date for both the FAFSA as well as the CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service) is this week! Not all colleges require the CSS Profile. Check the Common App, each college’s website, or speak with your college educational consultant to see which schools require it.  A number of colleges have started requiring students to be vaccinated against covid-19 in order to enroll in the fall. Currently these include:
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has a list of almost 400 colleges that have stated they are test optional for the Fall of 2021, affirming that students will not be penalized for the absence of a standardized test score for admission. Click here for more information.
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