In direct response to testing cancellations and limited dates for future sittings, many USA Colleges are going test optional,waving fees and extending deadlines of commitment and payment deadlines ,due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, which hinders students’ access to the exams.

We at CLC anticipate that more schools will adopt similar policies for the 2020-2021 admissions. On the other hand ,since the future of the SAT and ACT is not certain , the testing bureaus are thinking of using the technology to perform the tests at home, and of using a webcam monitor and strict time constraints to ensure there is no help provided.

• Boston University and Case Western Reserve for those applying in the fall of 2021,since students had difficulty sitting for the tests. 
• Tufts University has announced that it will go test optional for the next three years. 
• The University of California school system temporarily suspended standardized testing requirements for students applying for fall 2021.
• Davidson College has gone test optional ,for the next three years of the students,starting from the class of 2025.

As standardized test will become optional , universities in order to assess students  will impose some other requirements such as graded writing sample or extra essays. Also, the other requirements of the application will weigh more heavily on the acceptances made by the Universities. The academic rigour and excellence from 9th Grade onwards, the extra curricular activities and their impact on the development of the student and on others as well as the references by teachers. With the school year coming to an abrupt end ,extra curricular activities came to a halt too.

Keep in mind though these activities stopped for everybody and these interruptions will not be held against the students. The universities that go test optional usually require standardized tests for consideration for merit scholarships and financial aid.

• The student athletes who are not competing at the moment and cannot prepare videos or show athletic scores, they  should send an email to the school you are interested explaining the reasons behind your academic and athletic interest in the specific school. They should also include the latest updates of your athletics and workout plan and send any videos available.

The students who plan to apply for September 2021 should make the most of their time such as doing projects or online learning to show that they are innovative and adaptive to changes in their environment. They should also continue to prepare to sit for standardized tests since high scores are an asset to their application.

The CLC mentoring team is working on individual and group programs for all our students that we mentor for applications. and we will organize our students shortly It is of utmost importance to showcase a continuity in the activities that can be carried out.

It is hard to understand how the virus will affect long term education goals but it is certain that the universities are monitoring very closely the situation to make sure there will be a fair system of admission and continuation of studies.

The CLC team keeps track of all the updates and assures you that it will not only keep you updated but also work with our students to prepare stellar applications.