March 31, 2020
Good afternoon juniors and parents,
 
I hope all of you are easing into our new “normal” with remote learning and daily communication about the ever changing educational landscape. I have been impressed with our students' and families' support and understanding during this time. I hope this email finds you safe and healthy. 
 
This email is to serve as an update on the testing landscape with a specific focus on the SAT and ACT for college. 
 
First, the Colorado SAT that was to be held at Animas High School on April 14 has been postponed at this time. We do not know at this point if there will be a Colorado SAT conducted at Animas High School for this year.
 
Additionally, per communication from the College Board, the next SAT scheduled for students to take will be the first weekend of June. However, this is still subject to being cancelled due to the current COVID-19 virus.
 
My recommendation for Animas juniors who want to take the SAT: w ait until the August SAT date to take your first exam .  We do not foresee at this time that the August test date will be cancelled. I may change this recommendation if more dates become available and we are not continuing to social distance in June. Plan on taking the exam a second time in the fall. For students planning on applying to college Early Decision or Early Action (November 1-15) I recommend taking the SAT a second time in October in order for your scores to be available by your college application deadlines.
 
Registering for the SAT & Information about Fees
Normally, the first SAT exam taken by juniors in Colorado is free and students do not need to register; unfortunately this year that is not the case and all students will need to register for their SAT exam via the College Board website. HERE is where students can register for their exams. Please note we do not have students usernames or passwords. If students have created an account with the College Board and do not remember their log-in information they will need to go through the "forgot username" and "forgot password" prompts. If you have not registered for a College Board account follow the prompts to create an account. 
 
The fees to take the SAT are as follows: 
  • $49.50 for the SAT exam
  • $64.50 for the SAT exam with the essay
 
If you have questions about whether you should take the SAT with the essay utilize THIS website to determine if the colleges you plan on applying to require the essay. Please note no Colorado colleges or universities require the essay portion of the SAT.
 
Fee Waivers for SAT
I am able to provide fee waivers to students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, are first generation college students, or whose families are financially struggling at this time. The fee waivers will cover the total cost (including the essay portion) for 2 SAT exams. Please contact me via email if you would like to request a fee waiver.
 
Furthermore, the College Board is currently looking into offering additional testing dates for students due to the cancelations that have happened. No additional dates have been announced as of yet, but I will make sure to let all of you know if more test dates become available. 
 
Also, Animas High School is currently requesting to serve as a testing center at our school for the August and October test dates in order to ensure families in the Four Corners area do not have to drive long distances to take these exams. We will inform you when we have received confirmation from the College Board about utilizing our school as a testing center.
 
Finally, this is the perfect time for juniors to be accessing test preparation in order to prepare for the SAT exam. HERE is the free website offered by the SAT to provide test preparation for this exam.
 
Even though a large majority of our students take the SAT, some students do choose to take the ACT for their college standardized testing requirements. All colleges accept both the SAT and ACT for standardized testing. If you are wondering which exam would be a better fit for your student please read information about these exams HERE .


My recommendation for Animas juniors who want to take the ACT: Wait until the July ACT date to take your first exam .   We do not foresee at this time the July test date being cancelled.  

Plan on taking the exam a second time in the fall. For students planning on applying to college Early Decision or Early Action (Nov 1-15) I recommend taking the ACT a second time in September or October in order for your scores to be available by your college application deadlines.
 
Registering for the ACT & Information about Fees
All students will need to register for their ACT exam via the ACT website. HERE is where students can register for their exams. Please note we do not have students usernames or passwords if students have created an account with the ACT and do not remember their log-in information they will need to go through the "forgot username" and "forgot password" prompts. If you have not registered for an ACT account follow the prompts to create an account. 
 
The fees to take the ACT are as follows: 
  • $52.00 for the ACT exam
  • $68.00 for the ACT exam with the essay
**Utilize the same resource link above to determine if a college wants an essay with your exam**
 
Fee Waivers for ACT
I am able to provide fee waivers to students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, are first generation college students, or whose families are financially struggling at this time. The fee waivers will cover the total cost (including the essay portion) for 2 ACT exams. Please contact me via email if you would like to request a fee waiver.

Unique Changes to the ACT
Starting this fall the ACT will have a couple of new additions that currently the SAT does not have. 
  • Students will be able to take the exam either online or via a paper exam
  • If students take their exam online they will receive their scores in 2 weeks
  • After students take their first full ACT exam they can register to take only specific sections for the second exam in order to support Super Scoring without taking the full exam again.
To learn more about these unique changes to the ACT HERE is an article with more information.

As I mentioned above this is a great time for juniors to start test preparation for the upcoming exams. HERE is a free online learning tool and test practice site for the ACT. Additionally, Kaplan testing company is offering free ACT Test prep webinars for students. Below are the sessions, dates, and how to register.

FREE Kaplan Live ACT Test Prep
ACT Bootcamp—Join expert instructors as students learn how to tackle some of the most common question types on the ACT.
  • Wednesday, April 29 | 7 – 8:30 p.m. ET | Register
Studying for the ACT: How to Stay Motivated—Click the livestream at these times:
  • Wednesday, April 1 | 7 – 8:30 p.m. ET | Livestream 
  • Saturday, April 4 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET | Livestream
ACT Prep Class—Help students succeed on the ACT Reading test.
  • Saturday, April 18 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET | Register
 
Test Optional Colleges
In the wake of the Covid-19 virus there is a silver lining currently happening in the college world: colleges every day are choosing to go test optional for fall of 2020. This list is rapidly increasing every day with highlights such as all Oregon public colleges/universities, Boston University, and Scripps College to just name a few. HERE is a resource a colleague of mine is putting together as each college announces test optional practices for next year (she will update when she is able). Additionally utilize THIS website to learn about which colleges/universities have had test optional applications prior to this pandemic.
 
Also, if you are really interested in reading what is currently going on in the college world regarding the Covid-19 virus and test optional colleges HERE is a great article to read.
 
Finally, I will have this email and all of the links posted on the home page of my DP under the Juniors title. Please also look for an email from me later this week regarding college lists, letters of recommendation, and the current process for junior since moving to an online learning environment.
 
I hope all of you are safe and healthy and I look forward to continuing to support all of you with your next steps after high school. Take care.
 
Warm Regards,
Jess Morrison

Jessica (Adams) Morrison   :: Director of College Counseling :: Animas High School