If your junior had a significant improvement in grade this year...

[Anonymous]

make sure they take the SAT or ACT this summer and submit those scores, even to "test optional" schools. They are going to need to show that they earned the grades and weren't given them as part of the pandemic/online learning chaos.

[Anonymous]

+1
major red flag for a rising senior to have earned a 4.0 during virtual learning when they did not before

[Anonymous]

Hey rich families, chill! No one is talking about your precious snowflakes. The big issue is the kids who were online and cheating all year. By the way, no one had grade inflation, so you can stop that narrative. The kids who have straight As and didn’t earn them were the kids who were texting and facetiming each other during tests, and having older siblings/friends/parents/godknowswho taking tests and writing their papers.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who applies TO this year doesn’t want to submit scores. I have a rising college freshman and even with the pandemic- we got in ONE sitting. It was so much harder last year. I get some administrations are cancelled but all of ours were from Jan- Sept 2020.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who applies TO this year doesn’t want to submit scores. I have a rising college freshman and even with the pandemic- we got in ONE sitting. It was so much harder last year. I get some administrations are cancelled but all of ours were from Jan- Sept 2020.

I agree.Test sites are no longer being canceled due to Covid. They might be canceled due to other random issues like they were pre-pandemic, but not Covid.

[Anonymous]

Registration hasn't even opened for the late summer/early fall dates. With August, September and October dates, there's still plenty of time. If your kid had great grades last year (particularly if they were better than usual) mark your calendars to grab a date the minute they become available. Unless you think they won't do well, then I guess taking your chances that they won't look suspicious might be the better choice.

[Anonymous]

I have sat through many college webinars hosted by private counseling companies. They are also advising the same thing - take SATs, especially if your kid got As during remote learning but not otherwise. They are also telling that unlike 2020 when students were unable to take the tests, now if you don't take the SATs, it is because you don't want to share the results with the admissions committee.

[Anonymous]

More kids were admitted with SAT/ACT than without. Test optional does not mean test blind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1
major red flag for a rising senior to have earned a 4.0 during virtual learning when they did not before

I disagree. My kid was finally able to focus without all the distractions that come with in-person school. Not to mention a long commute to and from. We’re happy that in-person school will resume this fall because our daughter sorely missed her friends and social interaction, but her grades were a lot better without all of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who applies TO this year doesn’t want to submit scores. I have a rising college freshman and even with the pandemic- we got in ONE sitting. It was so much harder last year. I get some administrations are cancelled but all of ours were from Jan- Sept 2020.

My kid has already had one SAT and one ACT cancelled, both in the last few months. We’re still waiting for him to be able to test even once. So your experience isn’t everyone else’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who applies TO this year doesn’t want to submit scores. I have a rising college freshman and even with the pandemic- we got in ONE sitting. It was so much harder last year. I get some administrations are cancelled but all of ours were from Jan- Sept 2020.

I agree.Test sites are no longer being canceled due to Covid. They might be canceled due to other random issues like they were pre-pandemic, but not Covid.

And yet, a cancellation is a cancellation. My rising senior has had both test sittings he registered for cancelled.

[Anonymous]

My kid took the ACT in April, June, and will again in July. All right here in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid took the ACT in April, June, and will again in July. All right here in Fairfax County.

That’s nice. My kid’s June ACT was canceled, and it was too late to reschedule for July. Right here in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Do you have any evidence that there are lots of kids who “significantly” improved their grades because of virtual learning?

Also, this class had half of their 6 semesters virtual. Hard to know whether they would have improved anyway. And agree that test scores should be submitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have any evidence that there are lots of kids who “significantly” improved their grades because of virtual learning?

Also, this class had half of their 6 semesters virtual. Hard to know whether they would have improved anyway. And agree that test scores should be submitted.

Mine junior did. Went from a solid A/B mix to 6As (no A-s) and one B junior year. 4 APs. Worked her tail off. But, has a 34 ACT to back it up, and hopefully strong AP scores.

And also didn’t. When school went remote in March, she had a couple of outstanding lab reports in Chemistry she needed to get in and a term paper she was expected to finish, despite FCPS guidance. She has ADHD and just froze. didn’t do either, and got 2 B-s in those classes. One B+ and 4 As beside that.

How does this all shake out? Who knows? He guidance counselor will provide “context” to sophomore year grades.