Updated: March 14, 2020
March 12, 2020
Dear The College Board:
As K-12 administrators close school campuses around the country due to the COVID-19 outbreak, thus canceling Saturday’s March 14 SAT as well as potentially SAT tests in May and June, it’s urgent that The College Board address a growing set of concerns.
Without answers to the following concerns, how can high school students who have worked diligently for eleven years, continue preparing for the college admisisons process?
- Why are high school counselors reporting that “backlogs” exist in The College Board system, where the Testing Administration Services office is not connected the SAT offices, so while test centers were closed more than two days ago, no email has been sent to affected students?
- As of March 11, when students called The College Board customer service line to request a test center change, having only been notified their test center was closed yesterday, why are they being told they cannot change test sites, since the deadline passed on March 3?
- Why is there not flexibility with your policy given the fluid and rapidly evolving nature of COVID-19, so high school administrators are closing their campuses without much warning?
- Why are high school administrators promoting the March 14 SAT has been postponed to the March 28 national SAT makeup date, but students have not received any official confirmation of the changed date from The College Board?
- Why wasn’t the SAT Test Center Closing list updated for over 72 hours?
- Why is there no official policy posted from the College Board about how the SAT will be administered, given some schools are closing around the country, but others are not?
- What recourse do our students have for refunded fees, due to test sites closing for reasons beyond their control?
- For students seeking to make strategic admissions decisions, including applying early admissions, where SAT tests are required to be completed by October, what are you doing to assure them they can continue progressing toward their college goals?
- When test sites are not offering the March 28 makeup test, only offering students the opportunity to take the next scheduled SAT on May 2, the Saturday before Advanced Placement (AP) exams are scheduled to start, is not an ideal testing situation for students wanting to perform their optimum on both the SAT and AP exams. Many students had strategically scheduled to take the March 14 SAT to avoid the conflict. What concessions or other guidance will you offer to college admissions officers, since there is no alternative being offered by The College Board?
- When can we expect an answer from The College Board about these pressing issues?
At this extraordinary time, it’s essential for The College Board to reach out to their educational partners now, so a comprehensive plan can be enacted that is effectively communicated to all stakeholders, ensuring that all high school students have the opportunity this spring to take the needed exams offered by The College Board, to remain competitive for college admissions not only this fall but in the coming years.
Sincerely,
Jill Yoshikawa, EdM
Partner, Creative Marbles Consultancy
