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Parents looking to prepare their children for an uncertain educational future this coming year are asking what their kids need to focus on in the coming months and once school starts.

​Here are our top tips for each grade level to make sure everyone gets their 2020-2021 school year started right.

With spring and early summer test dates canceled for the SAT and ACT, we continue to expect a huge demand for the next several test dates for both exams. While many colleges are offering test-optional policies for the class of 2021, we strongly advise students to provide test scores if possible. Students who need or plan to take any of these tests should register as soon as possible to ensure their seat.

You have questions—we have the answers.

With the uncertainty presented by the Covid-19 crisis, our parents and students are asking how college admissions will be affected, especially for rising seniors.
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The crisis has exposed many of the flaws inherent in our current academic systems and will force schools to change how they recruit, teach, and support students going forward. It will likely change what the “college experience” means for many current and prospective students for the foreseeable future. With these changes will come a reassessment by students and families about what is important in the college experience and what their goals are for attending college, what are the cost benefits, and does the education or the physical experience of human interaction make for essential parts of that experience.

If you were able to take the March 14 SAT test, count yourself lucky. The possibility of taking an in-person test in the next 6 weeks seems out of the question given the progression of safety measures enacted across the country. And if the situation does not improve, the future of the in-person college admissions testing regime is definitely in question.

This delay will build up demand for testing slots until testing can be administered safely and all students can access the tests successfully and fairly. We expect a big wave of students later in the year as current Juniors push to get second and third tests in before their applications are due in the late Fall/early winter.
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So what do we know today about the future test availability and how should you plan your testing in the face of this uncertainty?

You have questions—we have the answers.

With Advanced Placement courses a core part of many student’s college application plans, we understand the concern about the administration of AP tests and how students can perform in spite of the present circumstances.
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Note: We have updated our original post to reflect the new information released by the College Board on April 3.

​You have questions—we have the answers.
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One of the lesser known parts of the college admissions application puzzle are SAT Subject Tests. Because of the nebulous requirements for these college entrance exams at many schools, we often get asked what these tests are and if students need to worry about them for their applications.

Our answer: if you are applying to top-tier schools, most will want you to submit some combination of SAT Subject Tests, but only MIT still requires these tests to apply. For most other schools, the test scores can serve as an independent validation that your good grades in a subject were earned in a comprehensive course.

​Have you ever considered getting a tutor for your student? Our subject tutoring clients come to us from all parts of Montgomery County for many different reasons and represent all grade levels and academic aspirations. While the perception of tutoring is often narrowly focused on students who might have always struggled with school, the truth is that most students will need assistance to maintain or excel at their studies during their academic career.
 
Here are some scenarios we encounter where students benefit from academic tutoring:

Montgomery County Public School students have two opportunities to take the official SAT in March thanks to MCPS’s implementation of a 2013 Maryland law.

Students considering an SAT test track this spring should take advantage of this opportunity to get twice the testing with just one course of SAT prep. Students on an ACT track can also take advantage of the opportunity, but in a different way.

Juniors who took the PSAT/NMSQT test in October will get their scores back next week. Consider this the starting gun for your test preparation and planning efforts over the next 12 months. Not sure what else the test and its many scores mean?
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