ACT/SAT vent - ANOTHER Update in the OP

[skimomma]

Dd is a senior.  She has been trying to take the ACT since last April.  Her next attempt was to be 12/12.  We have not heard anything directly from ACT but I directly asked the testing center she is slated for and they said they will not be administering the test due to new state Covid mandates.  There is another site two hours away.  I just called them.  They too will be cancelling.  After that our options are all 4+ hours away into an even bigger Covid hotspot than we have here.

My. Head. Is. Going. To. Explode.

She is already accepted to her college of choice.  But she needs significant merit aid and the only way for homeschooled students to qualify for merit aid at this college is test scores.  

So, I checked into SAT.  Our closest site is two hours away.  They have already cancelled the 12/5 test.  This means March is the next opportunity for that site.  Again, next closest is 4+ hours away.

This is getting ridiculous.

Update - So, I kept checking the cancellation list and our site never appeared.  Holding the test would be against the current state mandate and as far as I can tell, every other site in my state cancelled.  Additionally, our test center is a university that has even stricter Covid rules.  I don't know how the proctoring is contracted but I did contact the university's test center a second time about the possibility of cancellation. They do not actually handle the proctoring or know anything about it other than to tell me again that holding the test would be in direct violation of both state and university mandates and that they were 100% sure it would have to be cancelled.  All of the previous test dates for this center had been cancelled under much more lax state and campus rules.  Dd ceased prepping completely after my second call.  

But.  Last Friday night, the center is still not on the cancellation list.  So, we set an alarm and dd prepares to take the test (which just means explaining what a #2 pencil is and frantically tearing apart the house to find a couple).

She gets there on Saturday morning and sure enough, the test is ON.  The university had lowered the heat and ceased cleaning some buildings when students had to go 100% remote and employees were no longer allowed to come to campus (aside from essential workers).  So the building was very cold, trash overflowing, floors muddy, restrooms out of toilet paper, etc....  Only 7 students showed up.  The proctor said that over 40 were registered and he asked the group if anyone had gotten any correspondence directly from the university telling them not to come.  He also told them he expected that the building doors would be locked or that they would get kicked out by campus security since they were violating  the campus rules.  Dd was totally stressed out as were the others.  She thought every tiny sound was security coming in to evict them all.  

So.  Dd has taken the test and will at least have a score.  She did not prep.  She needs a 29.  Fingers crossed.  If she did not get at least a 29, she will have to prep and retest....which means doing this all again.....  Or maybe just not go to college because this is seriously all too much!

New Update - She got a 30!!!!!  Phew.  It is OVER.  I know she will not be happy with her math score but all that matters in the number for merit aid.  That's it!

Edited December 22, 2020 by skimomma

[BusyMom5]

I'm so sorry!  I'm glad mine took it Sophomore year.  My DD keeps getting emails that they will take later testing dates,  pushing back deadlines, ect.  I say have her apply a few more places and keep trying!  

[skimomma]

13 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

I'm so sorry!  I'm glad mine took it Sophomore year.  My DD keeps getting emails that they will take later testing dates,  pushing back deadlines, ect.  I say have her apply a few more places and keep trying!  

We for sure will!  It's just a strange balancing act with Covid and travel and costs and the possibility of cancellation after taking the risk and costs of travel.  Not to mention prepping only to have the tests cancelled at the last minute!  I think we could swing the two hour drive on test day but all sites further away are going to require overnights.  So frustrating.  I love where I love most of the time but it is times like these that the geographic isolation really bites us.  We gave up on AP tests altogether.

[BusyMom5]

4 hours ago, skimomma said:

We for sure will!  It's just a strange balancing act with Covid and travel and costs and the possibility of cancellation after taking the risk and costs of travel.  Not to mention prepping only to have the tests cancelled at the last minute!  I think we could swing the two hour drive on test day but all sites further away are going to require overnights.  So frustrating.  I love where I love most of the time but it is times like these that the geographic isolation really bites us.  We gave up on AP tests altogether.

I hear you!  I had to drive an hour for PSAT and ACT.  I think she took it at the school 30 minutes away once, too.  Our local school doesn't ever have enough kids to offer it. 

[BlsdMama]

On 11/18/2020 at 9:25 AM, skimomma said:

Dd is a senior.  She has been trying to take the ACT since last April.  Her next attempt was to be 12/12.  We have not heard anything directly from ACT but I directly asked the testing center she is slated for and they said they will not be administering the test due to new state Covid mandates.  There is another site two hours away.  I just called them.  They too will be cancelling.  After that our options are all 4+ hours away into an even bigger Covid hotspot than we have here.

My. Head. Is. Going. To. Explode.

She is already accepted to her college of choice.  But she needs significant merit aid and the only way for homeschooled students to qualify for merit aid at this college is test scores.  

So, I checked into SAT.  Our closest site is two hours away.  They have already cancelled the 12/5 test.  This means March is the next opportunity for that site.  Again, next closest is 4+ hours away.

This is getting ridiculous.

We’re rescheduling for the second time. She’s a very young senior (@16) and I’m really thinking about her becoming a junior. 

[mom2scouts]

I'm sorry. I also have a senior who has had the ACT cancelled multiple times. He is applying for an Academy and needs a higher score in one subsection to have a chance. We are scheduled for 12/12 at a nearby school and, at least right now, it looks like the test is a go, but Covid rates are rising dramatically here. This will be our last attempt.

[fourisenough]

My heart goes out to you guys. It’s so frustrating to be held back by circumstances you have no control over.
 

I’m grateful my junior DD was able to take the September & October ACTs and hit her goal score. She’ll try to test one more time to see if she can raise one section score a few points (she consistently scores 2-4 points better on math in her timed practice sessions than the two official tests). If her December or April tests are cancelled, it won’t be the end of the world. 

I hope you all get a/another crack at SAT/ACT this go round.

[teachermom2834]

Our state flagship changed the usual December deadline for test scores to July. You still need to apply on time but you can use test scores through the summer to increase automatic merit aid. 

It seems like a nice move on the part of the college to allow students the whole year to test for extra merit aid. However, it sure would stink to have testing drawn out that long for kids that were ready to test in April. 😞

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, teachermom2834 said:

Our state flagship changed the usual December deadline for test scores to July. You still need to apply on time but you can use test scores through the summer to increase automatic merit aid. 

It seems like a nice move on the part of the college to allow students the whole year to test for extra merit aid. However, it sure would stink to have testing drawn out that long for kids that were ready to test in April. 😞

 

I wish that more had. DD has been accepted to a different state flagship that still has a Dec 1 deadline for scholarships. She was able to get into the November SAT on a late registration  in a neighboring state with absolutely no prep, and hopefully will get the extra point or two equivalent that raises her scholarship tier, but ultimately, how flexible schools are may well end up determining where she goes next year. 

[teachermom2834]

6 minutes ago, dmmetler said:

I wish that more had. DD has been accepted to a different state flagship that still has a Dec 1 deadline for scholarships. She was able to get into the November SAT on a late registration  in a neighboring state with absolutely no prep, and hopefully will get the extra point or two equivalent that raises her scholarship tier, but ultimately, how flexible schools are may well end up determining where she goes next year. 

Hopefully more schools will loosen up those deadlines. At UTK I think the application still has to be in by the Dec deadline but you can go in and add better scores through the summer. Many of our local schools have that policy so it isn't unusual to see seniors testing all through the year. My kids were always really ready to be done testing by fall of senior year. 

My ds could get the top automatic scholarship with just one more point. But that's a tough score. I think he would have gotten it if he had taken it after intense prep in April but he came up a point short in July. I occasionally and annoyingly remind him he can try again but I think the moment has passed and he wouldn't improve his score if he tried again. He's trying for competitive merit. I think he's a good candidate but they just don't give very many and it is tough. Sigh. 

[RootAnn]

Ugh! My senior had April & May cancelled & there were no tests over the summer anywhere within a two hour, multistate radius. She thankfully got to take it in October & decided to be done. DH would have liked her to take it again but I supported taking her score & calling it good.

This year has been a challenge!

[daijobu]

On 11/18/2020 at 7:25 AM, skimomma said:

 

She is already accepted to her college of choice.  But she needs significant merit aid and the only way for homeschooled students to qualify for merit aid at this college is test scores.  

 

I'm very sorry you are going through this.  I'm wondering if you've tried calling the people responsible for the decisions on merit aid about if they've made any accommodations to homeschooled applicants this year.  It might be worth asking, or better yet, suggesting ways your student can provide evidence of her academic achievement.  

[skimomma]

14 hours ago, daijobu said:

I'm very sorry you are going through this.  I'm wondering if you've tried calling the people responsible for the decisions on merit aid about if they've made any accommodations to homeschooled applicants this year.  It might be worth asking, or better yet, suggesting ways your student can provide evidence of her academic achievement.  

I have been in contact with them about this.  There seems to a lack of understanding about why this is a problem specifically for homeschooled kids.  This is a state school and our state uses the SAT as a standardized test so almost all of their applicants have no problem producing test results.  I keep trying to explain that these tests get cancelled over and over and I just get a "nobody else seems to have this problem" attitude back.  They did relent and allowed her to be admitted without the tests but only because she is already a DE student there with a 4.0.  

The closest I have to any hope, aside from a test actually going at some point, is the school said they might add an essay option for merit aid but would not make that call until summer if enough people still have "a problem with testing" AND there is still merit aid left in the budget.  That is a long time to be in financial limbo for us.  

There is really nothing I can do except wait.  And vent!

[Garga]

5 minutes ago, skimomma said:

I have been in contact with them about this.  There seems to a lack of understanding about why this is a problem specifically for homeschooled kids.  This is a state school and our state uses the SAT as a standardized test so almost all of their applicants have no problem producing test results.  I keep trying to explain that these tests get cancelled over and over and I just get a "nobody else seems to have this problem" attitude back.  They did relent and allowed her to be admitted without the tests but only because she is already a DE student there with a 4.0.  

The closest I have to any hope, aside from a test actually going at some point, is the school said they might add an essay option for merit aid but would not make that call until summer if enough people still have "a problem with testing" AND there is still merit aid left in the budget.  That is a long time to be in financial limbo for us.  

There is really nothing I can do except wait.  And vent!

I’m so sorry this is happening to you. Honestly, I’d be a wreck. And so would my student. Having to perpetually prepare for a test that keeps getting cancelled would be a nightmare.

[RootAnn]

20 minutes ago, Garga said:

Having to perpetually prepare for a test that keeps getting cancelled would be a nightmare.

Truth! As is merit aid limbo!

[katilac]

I have a couple of people wanting me to prep their kids for ACT starting in December, and I'm like, how very optimistic, lol. 

[Another Lynn]

Ds was scheduled to take SAT Nov 7, but we got an email saying not to go - canceled or reduced seats.  Today we get a new SAT Admission Ticket in the mail.  It still has the Nov 7 date on it, but in the Message to Test Coordinators box, it says "Makeup."  So weird.  How are we supposed to use this?  Why don't they just refund and have us re-register for a date on our own?  

[mom31257]

I'm so sorry! Ds is a senior and has no scores yet. He is registered for the SAT next week at my dh's school, the county just south of ours. They gave the SAT in October, but they are a school that has been in session all year with the option to go virtual.

They don't give the ACT.  I'm going to sign him up to take it another school here that is also currently meeting in person. Hopefully that one will happen in February. 

Ds is a nervous test taker and slower processor,  and he thinks he will do better on the ACT.  I'm hoping that doesn't affect him too poorly on this one. He needs a score to get an official acceptance. His school will accept scores all the way into next summer, even after graduation, toward the merit aid. If he doesn't get enough from these two tests, I hope he can take it again. 

 

[RootAnn]

4 hours ago, mom31257 said:

Ds is a nervous test taker and slower processor,  and he thinks he will do better on the ACT.  

Has he taken a timed practice of both? The ACT is likely to be much worse for him than the SAT. The ACT is super tight on time. You have 60 seconds, on average, for each math question. I work fast & usually barely finish the Science section on time & usually have to skimp on math to get done. (It isn't as tight if you aren't trying for a top score & thus just focus on less questions.) My older two kids usually have time left on the English/Reading sections, but they are fast readers (or just skim, eliminate some answers, & then guess from what's left).

I'm glad yours is trying both, but if he doesn't end up getting to take the ACT, I wouldn't fret too much. I hope he gets to take the SAT next week!

[mom31257]

On 11/28/2020 at 10:03 PM, RootAnn said:

Has he taken a timed practice of both? The ACT is likely to be much worse for him than the SAT. The ACT is super tight on time. You have 60 seconds, on average, for each math question. I work fast & usually barely finish the Science section on time & usually have to skimp on math to get done. (It isn't as tight if you aren't trying for a top score & thus just focus on less questions.) My older two kids usually have time left on the English/Reading sections, but they are fast readers (or just skim, eliminate some answers, & then guess from what's left).

I'm glad yours is trying both, but if he doesn't end up getting to take the ACT, I wouldn't fret too much. I hope he gets to take the SAT next week!

Thanks! 

I am giving him two timed tests this week. He took the reading and language sections yesterday on the first one yesterday. He made exactly half of what he needs for the lowest merit aid and had no problem with the time. 

He'll take the math today. Then we'll focus all week on the areas he might could improve. I plan to give him another full test on Friday, timing it just like they do at the facility. It helps that dh has given it there recently. The main thing is I won't have the 5th test that can show up nor the fill in the blank stuff at the beginning. 

He took a practice ACT last summer and made one point below the lowest merit aid at his school, and that was without much prep at all. 

Dh, dd, and I have all graduated from there, so he really wants to go. I hope I can go to work and help pay for it since it's private tuition as well as room and board. Any aid would be a help. 

[skimomma]

Update in OP.

[MamaSprout]

On 11/18/2020 at 10:25 AM, skimomma said:

 

So.  Dd has taken the test and will at least have a score.  She did not prep.  She needs a 29.  Fingers crossed.  If she did not get at least a 29, she will have to prep and retest....which means doing this all again.....  Or maybe just not go to college because this is seriously all too much!

Honestly? I sounds the makings of an awesome application essay. I hope your dd did well!

[daijobu]

What a bizarre nightmare.  At least there were only 7 students, so your student's exposure was low.  So weird!

[mom2scouts]

The ACT has been a total disaster this year. DS was going to try AGAIN to take it on 12/12 and, for the fourth time, the test was cancelled. It's so bizarre that OP's child took the test under those circumstances.

[Garga]

Oh. My. Goodness. 

Ohmygoodness.

OH MY GOODNESS!!

What in the world!?!?  I hope beyond hope that she gets a 29. Wow. Freezing cold, muddy floors, security gonna kick everyone out.  Wouldn’t you just be beyond livid to be one of the people who thought it was cancelled and didn’t show up?

 

[BusyMom5]

I'm glad she got to take the test!  Hope she did well.  Schools are going to have to adjust. 

[skimomma]

16 hours ago, Garga said:

Wouldn’t you just be beyond livid to be one of the people who thought it was cancelled and didn’t show up?

 

Absolutely!  We live literally 1.5 miles for the venue.  Had it been more than a 15 minute drive, I would not have sent dd.  I fully expected her to walk back in the door within 30 minutes.  I was so surprised, I made sure to pass campus on my run that morning to make sure our car was in the parking lot.  This is the only site for a very large region so people travel from up to 4 hours away in one direction and 2 hours in another.  I am sure anyone not local opted to stay home. 

[fourisenough]

@skimomma That is beyond frustrating. I’m so sorry for you & your DD. My DD took the Sunday 12/13 test at a Hebrew Academy. I had been monitoring their website and knew they were still doing some in person instruction, so I was cautiously optimistic it would still be ‘on’. But every time I received an email from ACT that week, I thought for sure it was a cancellation notice! Nope, just marketing emails; what to bring on test day; order your questions/answers from the December test, etc. Anyway, DD said they started later than she would have liked, but the administrator in her room was warm and friendly, putting them all at ease. Other than running out of time on math, she felt reasonably good about it. I guess time will tell. Here’s hoping your DD hit her goal score and that my DD got +1 on math so her superscore hits her goal score. 

[skimomma]

New update in OP!

[Lori D.]

On 11/18/2020 at 8:25 AM, skimomma said:

New Update - She got a 30!!!!!  Phew.  It is OVER.  I know she will not be happy with her math score but all that matters in the number for merit aid.  That's it!

Hurray! 😄 

[RootAnn]

Whew! Happy it is over!!!!!

[BusyMom5]

Yay!  That's a great score- and now you just have more scholarship essays tk do!  This is such a long process!  Best if luck on more merit znd scholarship money!

[cintinative]

I am so glad she did well enough she doesn't have to retake it!