Talk about changes everywhere! On January 19, 2021, the U.S. College Board made an announcement that would change the academic lives of students all over the country. The Board has decided to immediately discontinue the SAT essay and Subject Tests in an attempt to adapt to the needs of students and colleges in the U.S. 

In previous years, 11th grade students had the option to take a Subject Test to demonstrate what courses they may be interested in for college. Most would see it as a great opportunity to focus on subjects they like best, or perform best in during the college application process. The SAT Essay was also a big part of the application process. Students have known that the essay was required and Subject Tests were something available to them, and though most students are glad that they are gone now, some are disappointed that they wasted their time studying for something that is now cancelled. 

So, why take away Subject Tests? The College Board claims that Subject Tests have become less and less relevant every year. Almost all colleges and universities across the country have stopped requiring them at all, or have begun to disregard them when it comes to application decisions. Many colleges have actually been looking at applications without these exams, meaning that students have been studying to complete the Subject Tests which have no real value in their admission process. A study in the last 5 years shows that there had been a decrease in the amount of students opting to take Subject Tests. Of course, there is no need to worry because the elimination of the exams will not change how students are evaluated by universities and colleges from now on. 

The College Board’s announcement also told the public about the decision to remove the essay portion of the SAT. This change may come as a surprise, but this will shorten the SAT for students and help administrators as they distribute tests this year and in coming years. Again, the Board is thinking about the students and are hoping to do what’s best for them. Since the SAT and ACT are often compared to one another, some people have been wondering if the College Board will make a similar announcement regarding the ACT Essay. In an email Mr. Ramirez, college counselor at GCDS Upper School, sent out to the school, he confirmed that the ACT may be making an announcement regarding the essay in the upcoming months, and that the 11th grade class should be on the lookout for that. 

There have been mixed reactions from high school students following these announcements. Some juniors have been frustrated by this news, since they have spent the school year preparing for Subject Tests and the SAT Essay. Mr Ramirez encourages these juniors to focus on the more positive sides of this. Instead of preparing for yet another standardized test, he hopes that the junior class will focus on other parts of the college application process such as the GCDS transcript. As for sophomores and freshmen all over the country, they are breathing a sigh of relief knowing they won’t need to worry about Subject Tests or the SAT Essay when the time comes. This has been an enormous change to adapt to, especially for juniors, who have been most affected by it, but the GCDS community is sticking together, and Mr. Ramirez promises to keep the school informed as much as possible.

Graphic: (NCHOLE YEO / FLICKR)