​Now in its second year as a digital test, the College Board’s PSAT was taken by high school juniors and sophomores across the country during October 2024, with schools allowed to schedule their test date any time during the month.

Our director spoke with U.S. News & World Report in August about the changes coming to the ACT college admissions test in 2025.

​Since 2020, the percentage of high school seniors submitting admissions test scores from the ACT or SAT as part of their college applications has dropped to just under 50% in 2023 as most schools adopted “test-optional” policies.
 
While test optional policies have empowered students to control more of their own destiny, they have also created a confusing landscape where families struggle to understand what “test optional” really means within the context of each school. While some schools embraced the new position, many just used the label and continued to prioritize applicants with scores, but few were transparent about their exact position or what they really wanted.

​Ahead of the digital SAT launch in 2024, the Preliminary SAT, or PSAT, has gone digital in the United States with the October 2023 test, presenting students with a completely new format and scoring structure from prior versions and featuring a shortened testing time with fewer questions.
 

​With the SAT college admissions test going digital in 2024, our director Ann Derryberry talked with Fox5DC about the changes parents can expect and how to prepare your student for what’s to come.

ACT recently reported that the average U.S. score on its college admissions test continued a multi-year decline, and overall, more students are not meeting the minimum benchmarks for success at a four-year college.
 
Our director Ann Derryberry recently talked with Fox5DC about the drop and ways families can prepare for admissions testing and overall academic success.

One of the most common questions we answer from families is when the student should plan to take their first college admissions test, whether it be an SAT or ACT. Recently, our director Ann Derryberry spoke to U.S. News & World Report on the topic.

​In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, both the ACT and College Board (SAT) were forced to adapt to rapidly changing dynamics like school closures and enhanced safety measures that made offering their paper-based tests more difficult. As a result, both have pushed forward with efforts to offer a digital, computer-based test going forward. The companies are taking different approaches to the rollout and test formats, so students in the Class of 2025 and later need to understand the new offerings, their scheduled rollouts, and how they will affect college admissions testing for this class and future classes. Class of 2024: none of this will affect you.

​Summer is the kickoff for many college admissions essay attempts, as rising seniors finally break free from the academic rigors of junior year with space to let their mind wander and develop a compelling piece.
 
After working with hundreds of students on their admissions essays, we have some suggestions to share for developing and refining an effective college admissions essay this summer.

Advanced Placement (AP) exams begin in May at high schools across the country. Exam weeks for 2023 are May 1-5 and May 8-12.
 
Like 2022, all AP exams have returned to full-length, multi-part tests taken at school. For 2023, students can expect a potential mix of paper and digital AP exam formats, depending on their classes and school preference.