SATs/ACTs in California

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skycar07

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Any recommendations on when to register for SATs/ACTs? Due to the fact that UCs/CSUs aren't requiring scores, my school isn't offering insight on any testing this year. I'm a junior, and I need all the help I can get. As of right now, I´m considering registering at another testing site, but I'm not sure which schools in California are offering. I had checked the College Board website, and it listed my high school as one of the testing sites even though it isn't. I'm afraid to register for a testing site if everything's still up in the air.
 
Collegeboard website of who is administering the test is horrendous. It is highly inaccurate. When I was looking for testing locations earlier in the year, I went off of the college boards list of schools that DID administer the test. (It’s separate from the schools that are suppose to). I then called that school, asked to speak to the AP coordinator / college board counselor, confirmed that they DID administer the test, and asked if they would administer more in the future.

Calling and communicating directly with the school sites is the only way to schedule a test and know for sure that you can take it. Also don’t be afraid to drive for your SAT test. Depending on the scarcity of available tests, a 1-2 hour drive would be expected. That’s what it was for me in California.

Best of luck!
 
Jman0714 said:
Collegeboard website of who is administering the test is horrendous. It is highly inaccurate. When I was looking for testing locations earlier in the year, I went off of the college boards list of schools that DID administer the test. (It’s separate from the schools that are suppose to). I then called that school, asked to speak to the AP coordinator / college board counselor, confirmed that they DID administer the test, and asked if they would administer more in the future.

Calling and communicating directly with the school sites is the only way to schedule a test and know for sure that you can take it. Also don’t be afraid to drive for your SAT test. Depending on the scarcity of available tests, a 1-2 hour drive would be expected. That’s what it was for me in California.

Best of luck!
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I definitely don't mind a drive. Thank you so much, I appreciate it!
 
Speaking from experience, I know exactly how difficult this situation can be... Both my ACTs and SATs were cancelled six times before I was finally able to keep one SAT site that just required a 20hr round trip drive.

I am not in CA, so I do not know then exact sites to recommend, but the best advice I can give is to find the list of testing centers that are currently "not yet cancelled" when you are registering for the ACT/SAT. Next, look up the individual schools on that list and find out if they offer in-person classes (a good indicator that they will allow the test to go through). Try looking at either the smaller local schools, or at any universities that offer testing as these have the highest probability to avoid last minute cancellations.

Start taking your tests as soon as you are able. It is rare for students to be satisfied with the score they receive on a first attempt so giving yourself time to study hard and get familiar with the ACT/SAT material is the best way to go. Don't be too worried about a site getting cancelled, the worst thing that comes with it is stress. When the site gets cancelled you have the option to go back and reschedule at another available location/date free of charge.

Good luck out there!
 
skycar07 said:
Any recommendations on when to register for SATs/ACTs? Due to the fact that UCs/CSUs aren't requiring scores, my school isn't offering insight on any testing this year. I'm a junior, and I need all the help I can get. As of right now, I´m considering registering at another testing site, but I'm not sure which schools in California are offering. I had checked the College Board website, and it listed my high school as one of the testing sites even though it isn't. I'm afraid to register for a testing site if everything's still up in the air.
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I'm in the same boat as you. I'm in California as well and the CollegeBoard's list of schools as test sites are horrible. I was supposed to take the March 13th SAT but they cancelled my test only a few days prior because they closed as a test site and was not able to reschedule to aother site. I would say to try to register for the SAT ASAP, as you need scores in order to fill out applications for USNA and USAFA.

Please reach out for any more questions you might have. Hope this helped!
 
skycar07 said:
Any recommendations on when to register for SATs/ACTs? Due to the fact that UCs/CSUs aren't requiring scores, my school isn't offering insight on any testing this year. I'm a junior, and I need all the help I can get. As of right now, I´m considering registering at another testing site, but I'm not sure which schools in California are offering. I had checked the College Board website, and it listed my high school as one of the testing sites even though it isn't. I'm afraid to register for a testing site if everything's still up in the air.
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As a senior this year, the whole SAT/ACT mess is still pretty fresh in my mind. The best advice anyone can give, is just schedule your tests ASAP, and, if you can afford it, schedule a bunch of them (3 or 4). If you get a score you're happy with on the first test, theres no obligation to go to the next ones (not showing won't negatively impact your score).

I took a practice SAT every other weekend for about two months before my test to prepare, and I got a score I was pretty happy with on my first try. I definitely recommend doing full practice tests, since the hardest thing about the SAT or ACT is the timing. Just make sure you don't get/use extra time, since I believe USAFA can discriminate against that score (civilian colleges cannot because of the ADA).
 
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