BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Standardized testing came to a stand still this spring for high school juniors who hoped to take the ACT or SAT. Tutors 7 Eyewitness News spoke with said these students are at a disadvantage because New York's the only state that does not offer the ACT in July.
Tatiana Robinson, an SAT/LSAT/GRE tutor at Atlas Test Prep said the good news is that there should still be enough time for students to take the SAT twice.
"I would say that most of them still plan on taking the August exam, and then again in the fall if they're able to," she said.
The College Board added a September SAT date in addition to its original fall tests. Andrew Belasco, the CEO of College Transitions, said to sign up early.
"So while you may have an opportunity to sit for those exams in the fall, you may not have the opportunity to take the test where you really want to take the test," he said. "You may have to drive an hour or even more."
Belasco said there's also the possibility of online testing, but he worries that can put students at a disadvantage depending on their home environment. There are also cheating concerns.
More schools are moving towards a test optional policy for fall of 2021 applicant. Belasco mentioned private colleges Hamilton, Colgate, and Cornell. The move also serves as a higher education case study, for universities that never offered test optional admission.
"Are their GPAs relatively good, are they contributing as much to campus, does Cornell maintain their rank in US News and other popular publications." he said. "If so, we may see a lot of selective colleges move towards test optional policies."
Belasco said to still take the tests if you can because a good score at a test optional school could help you stand out.
