How Will the New SAT Impact My Child

In the first part of our New SAT series, we spoke about what every parent needs to know when it comes to the new SAT. In this blog, we mainly focus on the changes to the test and how they compare to the current format. Now that we’ve covered the basics, we wanted to answer the second most frequently asked question: how will the new SAT impact my child?

Since the College Board is rolling the new SAT out mid-test year, this new format is really impacting three classes of high school students. We will go through how the test is impacting students in the class of 2016, 2017, and 2018 in this blog, but to get the most current SAT and ACT exam dates, please click here.

 

Class of 2016

Rising seniors in the class of 2016 have three more opportunities to take both the ACT and the current SAT. The remaining ACT dates are:

  • June 13, 2015
  • September 12, 2015
  • October 24, 2015

The remaining SAT dates are:

  • June 6, 2015
  • October 3, 2015 (tentative date)
  • November 7, 2015 (tentative date)

Since the new SAT is not being rolled out until March of 2016, rising seniors will not have the opportunity to take it, since most college applications are due prior to this test date.

 

Class of 2017

The rising juniors in the class of 2017 have the most options and the most confusing decisions to make. These students will have several dates to take the ACT including:

  • October 24, 2015
  • December 12, 2015
  • February 6, 2016
  • April 9, 2016
  • June 11, 2016
  • September 10, 2016

They will also have the opportunity to take the current SAT this fall on the following dates:

  • October 8, 2016 (tentative date)
  • November 6, 2016 (tentative date)
  • December 28, 2016 (tentative date)
  • January 2017 (unreleased date)

This class will also be the first group of students who are able to take revised SAT. They will have two opportunities in March and May of 2016, as well as a few chances in the fall of 2016.

Though we typically advise juniors to take their ACT or SAT tests in the spring of their junior year, some students in the class of 2017 may want to consider taking the current SAT while they have the opportunity in the fall.

Class of 2018

The class of 2018, the rising sophomores, can already begin planning their ACT test date (the ACT releases dates two years in advance):

  • October 22, 2016
  • December 10, 2016
  • February 11, 2017
  • April 8, 2017
  • June 10, 2017

They will also have plenty of chances to take the revised SAT. We don’t have the exact dates for the new SAT but dates will likely be offered in October, November, and December of 2016 and January, March, and May of 2017.

The class of 2018 will miss the opportunity to take the current SAT and will take a PSAT this year that parallels the new test.

 

Now that we’ve covered how each group of students will be impacted by the new SAT, our next blog will answer the third most popular question parents have: “Should my child even bother with the new SAT?” To read that blog click here or to read our first in the series, “Everything Parents Need to Know about the New SAT,” click here.

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