SAT Subject Tests and SAT Essays are a Thing of the Past

This week, College Board – the manufacturer of the SAT, announced that they are eliminating all SAT Subject Tests. Subject Tests will no longer be available to US students but international students who are registered for the May or June 2021 Subject Tests, can either go ahead with testing as planned or can contact College Board for a full refund of their payment. Given the situation with COVID-19 and the fact that many universities have been and will be test optional for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years, I am not recommending that students take any Subject Tests or write the essay portion of the SAT. As always, there are exceptions to every rule. Case in point if you are already registered to take an SAT Subject Test, let’s say for a foreign language or Math 2 and you are pretty sure you will get full marks for it, then there is no harm in taking the test if you do not have to take any more time to prepare for testing. Keep an eye on the websites of the universities you’re targeting to see any updates regarding their policies for the upcoming admission cycle. Most institutions will likely NOT consider the essay score or sores from Subject Tests.
There will be more focus on AP exams, so my recommendation is to take your AP courses and their exams very seriously. In the absence of SAT Subject Tests, universities will be paying more attention to your AP scores as they are always looking to even out the playing field.

The College Board has also announced that they intend to revise the SAT Test in the near future and that they will be making the test digital in the years ahead. For the time being, there is nothing for you to do about this with the exception of preparing for testing. If you’re in grade 9, it is too early to prepare. If you’re in grade 11, take the test this year without the essay portion. If you’re in grade 10, you might want to accelerate your prepping for the SAT and taking the test as soon as you’re ready in order to be done with it. We certainly don’t want you to prepare for one test and then when it comes time to test, be faced with a new version of the test – requiring more test prep especially given that this will be new to all test prep instructors as well. For grade 10 students, time is of the essence.

According to College Board, more updates about the state of SAT testing will be released in April and I will keep students informed when the time comes.

Testimonial Excerpts

“We feel incredibly fortunate to have met you and to have had you as part of [our daughter’s] life for the past year. We truly felt that you were part of the family in this important life transition. Your patience with her and your availability to us were truly a gift.”
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“You were the best investment that we have made in [our daughter’s] high school career – we will always be so grateful to you.”
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“You never ceased to amaze us with your genuine kindness and continued willingness to accommodate our atypical requests for assistance. Thank you for being there and for your always quick responses to our many queries.”
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“Thank you for all the help and your constant support over the past few years. I couldn’t have gotten through university applications without you!”
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“Just wanted to say thank you again for helping (our daughter) achieve her dreams. We so appreciate you and all of your efforts.”
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“Thank you very much, Bibi, for all your dedication for the success of our children! You are like a huge powerful engine with endless enthusiasm.”
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“You have a special place in my heart. “Thank you for being there, reassuring our twins every step of the way and graciously (and always quickly) responding to our concerns, reducing the stress of the university search and application process.”
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“I need to express my great thanks to you, Bibi. Your guidance and experience are really helpful to (our son), especially your careful editing of his essays at the last minute!!(I apologize for his delayed submissions).”
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“Thank you for being there for us and for the hundreds of others you help. Those hundreds will multiply exponentially over the years and generations and you receive a spiritual portion of all their accomplishments. You have served as a guide and gardener, helping to plant them in fertile fields.”
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“I ultimately committed to the University of California, Berkeley, and declined all of my other generous offers. Bibi, thank you for supporting me and giving me the confidence to reach my full potential, both in university life and beyond.”
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“You have been an anchor and a dose of practical intelligence for our family. Your wisdom, experience and guidance are deeply appreciated.”
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“I hope you continue doing the magic that is your craft and making dreams become reality for students like me.”
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“As summer draws to a close and we gear up to start the new year, I wanted to let you how wonderful it has been watching (our daughter) transition from fear and uncertainty to confidence in her path going forward. This is so important and we are thrilled that she has made a good connection with you.”
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“Sharing with you the awards (our son) just won. It takes a team and a lot of effort to nurture great people. Thanks again for your special contributions that helped encourage, guide, motivate, instruct ….allowing him to finish high school on such a high note! Whatever happens from here on in, he will have had a great start….”
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“Thank you, Bibi, for your expert assistance, soulful guidance and focused advice. We really appreciate the “List of universities to compare” that you prepared, colour coded and all; very helpful in giving us perspective and organizing planning.”
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“I received an admission offer to Richard Ivey a couple of hours ago and I couldn’t have done it without your help!! Once again, THANK YOU!”
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“I want to tell you that we (my twin and I) got an email today, saying that we have been accepted into the summer program to which we applied. I also want to thank you for helping us and guiding us along the way. Happy Valentine’s Day!”
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“From our initial meeting you were genuine and honest, giving us your assessment with no sugar-coating.”
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“You are both enterprising and ingenious. Every idea, referral and suggestion you gave me was valuable and effective.”
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“You are a miracle worker….couldn’t have done it without you!”
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“We went into this process totally overwhelmed but your guidance provided clarity and an outcome far beyond our expectations.”
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“You are a true life-saver! Your ability to listen, your insight into this very complicated process, your genuine compassion, and your integrity are rare in today’s world. We’ll be recommending you to anyone in need of college counselling.”
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“I am grateful for your guidance & advice. I am now confident that I have four wonderful years ahead of me.”
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“I would like to thank you for your invaluable help on my Cambridge application — your ability to write cogently whilst character-counting is downright uncanny. Your expertise was much appreciated and instrumental in my acceptance.”
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“Your coaching and your expert guidance were extraordinarily impactful on (our son). Admission to his top choice university has given him a sense of accomplishment, pride, and confidence in his abilities.”
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“You under-promised and over-delivered. We can’t thank you enough. Your work with (our daughter) certainly exceeded all expectations.”
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“You’re truly incredible! (Our son) is thrilled with the outcome. (Our daughter) is loving her university experience.”
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“Your predictions were all correct. (university) is a perfect fit for (our daughter). She has settled in and is enjoying her experience both academically and socially.”
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“Thank you for your calm and caring nature, for your constant follow-up, even six months post- graduation. (Our son) could never have achieved all this without your input.”
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“From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to thank you for your counseling. You’ve treated me like a son and I am very grateful for all that I was able to accomplish under your guidance.”
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“Thank you for introducing me to (your former student). We had coffee yesterday. It made me so excited about (college) and answered so many of my questions. We talked about how amazing you are, Bibi. Just wanted to extend a big thank you again for your long hours of counseling during the crazy long weekend when I completed my early application.”
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