For some, the cancellation of SATs and ACTS may be great. For others, they were a chance to show off their skills to colleges. Whatever the case, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread far into the academic universe, bringing into question even the most basic of college admission requirements.
Though the tests may be eliminated for now, there is still uncertainty about the future. The April ACT was moved to early June, while Upper School Director of College Counseling and Academic Dean Jim Jump believes that both the March and May SATs will be moved to around the same time. That means that all the tests will occur in a short timeframe, meaning that students should “be ready to take the tests in a narrow window in summer and early fall,” said Mr. Jump.
To some, that might seem worrying. As Colin Taylor ’21 said, “The less time I have to do it sort of stresses me out.” But because of the circumstances, colleges are expected to be more flexible in how they evaluate students' credentials. Some colleges are moving to pass/fail grading standards, while others have said they are becoming test-optional. Whatever the case, “For nearly all St. Christopher's guys,” Mr. Jump said, “transcript, both schedules and grades, is more important for college admission than test scores.”
Because of that, St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s decided to continue grading, with the added caveat that teachers be more lenient. Administration and faculty believe it is important to keep grading for college admission since grades look better than pass/fail.
Though the future is muddled, Mr. Jump said that it is important to remember that all of us are entering uncharted waters. Everyone, including colleges, are making adjustments. But he left with the reminder: “We will get through this.”