CameronAs of local time March 5, 2024, Brown University has announced that starting with next year’s application cycle (effective for the Class of 2029), Brown will reinstate the requirement that applicants for first-year admission submit standardized tests scores (the SAT or ACT, except in the rare circumstance when these tests are not available to a student). Brown University to reinstate test requirement, retain Early Decision, further study legacy preferences | Brown University
Prior than that, Dartmouth was the first Ivy League university to abandon test-optional policies in February, followed by Yale, thus making Brown the third.
Admittedly, standardized test score is the only part of the college application that speaks to the applicant’s academic competency without considering the context of their high school curriculum (AP/A-Level/ DP). Admission officers therefore are able to compare such data quickly and consistently. To this end, this article will discuss the timeline and tips for standardized test preparation and common mistakes to avoid.
Rule of thumb, though SAT score indicates the applicant’s English and Math level, it is strongly suggested that students should never commit their time and energy to test prep at the cost of compromising extracurricular activities. Remember, SAT score only reveals a part of a student’s academic identity whereas an activity of uniqueness and meaning, possibly involves leadership skills, communication and coordination skills and other personal characters, constructs a stronger, more convincing profile.
It is very common that throughout individual college counseling meetings, coffee talks, info sessions, and all sorts of parents events that the timeline for SAT prep has been repeatedly mentioned. In general, I often suggest parents and students place TOEFL as their priority for the first two years of high school. As students have built a solid foundation of English and Math, for stronger students, they are advised to take the first attempt of SAT in the August which is mostly likely at the beginning of their junior year, allowing them to have the entire summer for preparation.
On the other hand, the majority of students should take the first SAT in the March of their junior year as the breaks in December, January, and February give them advantage to study and prepare for SAT while avoiding the time conflict with AP exam prep starting in April.
After the first attempt, students should go over the scores with their college counselor for a thorough analysis and make informed-decision on when to schedule the next SAT together.
While a SAT test center that BIPH is, it is absolutely unnecessary for a student to take as many SAT as they wish without sufficient preparation. Despite the fact that a number of colleges have gone to “superscore”, meaning they are willing to take a combination of student’s highest Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing with their highest Math score across multiple tests to calculate a superscore, a few schools, say, Georgetown University, requires submission of each applicant’s complete testing record, including all SAT, ACT, and/or SAT Subject test scores. In this way, taking multiple SAT may jeopardize students’ chance. Another Ivy League school, University of Pennsylvania, though still practicing test-optional for the 2024-25 admissions cycle, if a student opts to submit their SAT score, Penn encourages students to submit their entire testing history for both ACT and SAT exams.
As for TOEFL, though an immersive English‐only academic community that BIPH is, a concrete TOEFL score provides a standard comparison of English proficiency much as the way that SAT does. A reasonable measure it is, TOEFL is second only to an interview to demonstrate the applicant’s language ability.
Additionally, some colleges require applicants to submit TOEFL if the student is attending a high school in a non-English speaking country regardless of the student’s native language and/or citizenship. Therefore, it is recommended that students always take TOEFL.
For timeline, since a TOEFL score is only valid for two calendar years, in order to submit it for college application, the applicant must take it in February or later in their sophomore year. With that being said, for summer program applicants, students then need to take TOEFL exam and have the score ready by January or February to apply the summer institution for the following summer.
In conclusion, creating a reasonable and balanced timeline for standardized tests is of vital importance to achieve desired score; nevertheless, given the context of each student’s academic level, English proficiency, extracurricular activity planning and the already overwhelming course loads, each individual may have different pace and progress. Remember, your college counselor is always there to help and offer advice!