¨I believe that the biggest effect on the Class of 2021 is the emotional impact of the uncertainty that comes with tremendous change,¨ Assistant Principal Chris Otto said. 

As the global pandemic COVID-19 has taken its course, events are being canceled or postponed. The ACT was scheduled for March 24 and is one example of an experience that has been canceled. 

¨It adds some stress, being that junior year is one of the hardest years with college applications and now I can’t submit them. It also stresses me out that I may not be able to really fully study for the ACT, and I really think that this is going to affect my score,¨ junior Emma Kindler said.

On a college application, ACT scores stand as a requirement. Most students tend to take the test in the spring so there is time for a retake. However, now test dates are postponed for mid-summer condensing the chance of an improvement in score. Students are facing stress about the delay in the test and the results of reduced time.

¨I encourage seniors not to worry about the testing delay. I don’t believe it will negatively impact your post-secondary choices. We will get through this and opportunities will be there for you,¨ Otto added.

Students are worried about a college decision and whether their scores will be strong enough for the admittance. A short amount of time to cram the ACT will affect college choices and finding out if colleges will be lenient with scores.

Kindler explained not being able to take the ACT has been really hard with her college decision because she is not sure where she is going to get in or what colleges are even worth applying to. She feels like it is a major cram because normally students have more time to take the ACT more than once. She may only get to take it one time before college applications need to be sent.

Families have spent money on ACT prep classes and were unable to attend due to COVID-19. Because of the social distancing order, prep classes may keep being postponed to secure the safety of the country. Prep classes are a way to improve a student’s ACT score with helpful tips and now students may not receive them.

¨I paid for an ACT prep course and was only able to do the first class because of COVID-19. It makes me kind of mad because I don’t know if I will ever get to take this class and it makes me worried about what score I will get on the ACT when I am able to take it. Especially because at this point I need to take the ACT as soon as possible with or without studying for it,¨ Kindler added.

Colleges such as The University of St. Thomas as well as other colleges have made the ACT an optional requirement for the class of 2021. This opens up the gate for juniors, at this time, who are nervous about their test delay and it may open the eyes of other colleges to follow in pursuit.

¨Campus leadership at St. Thomas saw research showing students who previously wouldn’t have had access to those colleges and universities due to their ACT/SAT scores were suddenly attending and succeeding! Those rates of success were similar between students who did and didn’t submit a test score,” Tom Asp, University of St.Thomas, senior admissions counselor explained. “It’s not so much that test-optional colleges have become anti-assessment, but they’ve learned the traditional assessment methods of the ACT/SAT haven’t predicted student success as well as they’d like.”

Colleges do require other attributes for admission: a solid GPA, hard work ethic, firm essays and recommendations will help with admissions. A student is not defined by a test score.

¨The high school transcript will become the key document when reviewing applications. Things our admissions committee considers on the transcript will be – the cumulative GPA, the trend of the grades, course selection/difficulty, most recent performance junior year, and the class section available to students at that high school. We’ll also continue to review extracurricular activities, application essays, personal statements, letters of recommendation, etc,¨ Asp added.

Apply to take the ACT this summer at an ACT National testing site. All high school students will have two opportunities to take the ACT this summer on the national testing dates of June 13 and July 18. Registration must be completed directly through ACT on their website.  In addition, the class of 2021 will have an opportunity to take the ACT at SAHS on Oct. 6.