SAT Nixes Subject & Essay Tests

The New York Times: "The College Board, which administers the SAT college entrance examination and has seen its business battered by the coronavirus pandemic ... will drop the optional essay section from the SAT and stop administering subject-matter tests in the United States." The board will "also continue to develop a version of the SAT test that could be administered digitally — something it tried and failed to do quickly with an at-home version last year after the pandemic shut down testing centers ... The changes to the SAT come as more and more colleges are dropping the requirement that students take the test, as well as its competitor the ACT, a trend driven in part by concerns about equity that received a boost during the pandemic."

"Critics of the College Board said the decision was almost certainly driven by financial considerations. The SAT has in the past represented a substantial portion of the College Board’s more than $1 billion in annual revenue." Jon Boeckenstedt of Oregon State University comments: “The SAT and the subject exams are dying products on their last breaths, and I’m sure the costs of administering them are substantial."

"David Coleman, the chief executive officer of the College Board, said the organization’s goal was not to get more students to take A.P. courses and tests, but to eliminate redundant exams, thereby reducing the burden on high school students applying to college."

Which College Cities Are Tops?

Pennlive: "A Pennsylvanian city has been named as one of the top college places in the U.S. However, it’s not the home of Penn State University, State College. According to a new study conducted and published by WalletHub, when ranked by size, Pittsburgh is the fifth best large city to attend college in. The other top five largest cities are Tampa, Fl. (fourth); Seattle, Wash. (third); Raleigh, N.C. (second); and Austin, Texas (first). State College comes in ranked 89th overall. According to the study, it has the 20th best 'social environment,' but ranks 359th out of 415 cities for “academic and economic opportunities.”

"The top five college towns and cities in the nation regardless of size would be Ithaca, N.Y (fifth); Irvine, Calif. (fourth); Provo, Utah (third); Austin, Texas (second); and Ann Arbor, Mich. (first). And the college towns and cities you should avoid? Those would be Kendall, Fl. (number 411); Montgomery, Ala. (number 412); Hialeh, Fl. (number 413); Bridgeport, Conn. (number 414); and Miami Gardens, Fl. (number 415)."

"In order to come to these conclusions, WalletHub assessed the following three key categories to see where each town or city fell on the list: 'Wallet Friendliness;' 'Social Environment;' and 'Academic & Economic Opportunities.' From there, WalletHub weighted each category’s relevant metrics (such as housing costs) to find out which area would be the most attractive to burgeoning minds."

The Essay May Count More Than Ever

Ed Source: "Since SAT/ACT scores are optional or totally off the table during the pandemic, many colleges say that the personal and academic information presented in applicants’ essays will loom somewhat larger than in the past. That, in turn, is making some students double down on their essay compositions, often trying to distinguish their pandemic experiences from others stuck in online education and lockdown. In some cases, anxiety is heightened because they are not able to talk face-to-face with counselors and can’t visit drop-in writing centers."

"Without standardized test scores, colleges will look more at the essays for evidence of 'intellectual curiosity, initiative, drive and determination,' said Jayne Fonash, who is immediate past president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) ... It is the place 'to tell the story beyond the data, beyond grades and transcripts' and should be written in a student’s natural tone and language, 'not like the third act of a drama'."

“I think students put a lot of pressure on themselves for the essay to be perfect when, in fact, it simply should be a heartfelt, clearly and succinctly written story about an important aspect of their life,” Fonash added. The compositions “don’t have to be about an event that changed the future of the world. Their life may not have a lot of drama but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a lot of life lessons.”