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ACT or SAT Testing Optional: Is It Really?

5/25/2020

Several big-name universities declared that ACT/SAT college testing would now be considered optional for those applying this fall due to Covid19. You might now be wondering: Is studying for the ACT or SAT even worth it? And the answer we want to stress is YES! It is important for you to take either the ACT or SAT this year.
Every year millions of students around the world apply to American colleges. This won’t stop because of our current situation. And even if many schools decide to make ACT/SAT testing optional, we wish to emphasis the importance of continuing to prepare for the following reasons:

Just because many colleges are not making ACT/SAT testing optional, not all will. What if your dream school decides not to waive this previous requirement? What then? Better to prepare for all possible outcomes than hope that all schools follow current trends.

Think about how the schools will evaluate you once the tests are waived. Last year before the pandemic, several major colleges decided to make ACT/SAT testing optional including the University of Chicago. What we learned is that this puts stress on every other part of your application: grades, extra-curricular activities, the rank of your school, and of course the ever-looming college application essays. With tens of thousands of students applying to any given college, why limit your competitive edge. By leaving one aspect of your application empty, you suddenly make every other part much more critical.

Are you making the best of your current situation? The country is on a standstill, schools everywhere are closed, and most students have been stuck at home for months. While many are taking this time to relax a bit, countless students are using it to prepare for college applications. Whether they are taking the test or not, they are using this time to beef up all the other parts of their application. And when the tests do start opening again, many will be ready to excel. Use this down time to your advantage. The competition will be fiercer than ever, so now is the time to prepare.

Finally, for all those worried about finding and taking the ACT/SAT during these uncertain times:

Both the SAT and ACT have committed resources to provide more testing locations as well as guarantee these locations meet the proper guidelines for current social distancing requirements
Both tests have begun offering additional testing dates, during this summer and in the fall
In some cases, these tests will also be offering remote proctoring to provide even more assurance that students are staying safe and healthy.
For more info check out these links:
- Test Dates https://www.ilearnacademy.net/actsat-test-dates-2020-2021.htm
- ACT COVID response https://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid19.html
- SAT COVID response https://pages.collegeboard.org/sat-covid-19-updates

iLearn Academy is here to help you excel on either the ACT or SAT, Learn More Here. Let us know what you think. Please feel free to reach out to us on Facebook with your concerns surrounding the ACT/SAT. We always welcome the voices and opinions of our community.

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4 Great Resources for Kids Stuck at Home

5/9/2020

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Are you looking for some cool websites that you and your children will love? We couldn’t help but notice a decline in kids’ motivational and critical thinking skills, so we have some ideas to help. Here are four free websites we found that offer great ways to engage kids while also providing a creative and educational outlet:

The Smithsonian is offering a complete Virtual Tour of its National History Museum. Check out both current and past exhibits on all types of fascinating exhibits in our planet’s history from the dinosaurs to modern day. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour

Nasa has a wonderful library of videos by real life astronauts. How do they exercise? How do they eat? Find out all about life in space with over a dozen videos. https://www.spacestationexplorers.org/news-media/videos/

Any young artists in the family? The Kennedy Center is offering weekly art videos with children’s book author Mo Williams as he walks kids through fun and creative doodles.
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/

The National Zoo has a massive collection of online animal exhibits. With over 200 animals featured, kids of all ages can enjoy facts and videos on all sorts of birds, reptiles, and mammals. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/list

(Additional games, puzzles, and resources can be found on the “At Home Activities” page at the Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus?src=feature Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the resources).

Which of these activities or resources did you find most enjoyable? Are there other fun and educational websites you have been using and can recommend? If so, please share! We would love to hear from all our families on how they have been making the most of these uncertain times. Please leave a comment on our page. And if you have any questions feel free to reach out as well; iLearn Academy remains dedicated to serving you in a safe and effective way.

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ACT or SAT Testing Optional: Is It Really?

4 Great Resources for Kids Stuck at Home

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