| March 30, 2020 Dear Juniors and Parents/Guardians of Juniors, We have been thinking of you throughout Spring Break, aware that you are trying to make sense of the fast-moving changes of many aspects of life - the college admissions process included. We are writing to share with you the information we have learned over the last few weeks and to make sure you are aware of the ways we will continue to support you as your college search continues to proceed. Colleges are Aware Colleges are fully aware that your lives have been disrupted in many ways beyond the SAT and ACT. They have repeatedly communicated to us that their application review for the Class of 2021 will take into account there are many things at play that are beyond your control. They know that your plans for activities this spring and likely into the summer will be different than you anticipated, so please don't worry about this! They are also aware that most students nationwide have not visited any schools, and they will work hard to create virtual experiences for you to learn about them and to show your interest. ACT and SAT Updates As you are likely aware, several testing dates (the March and May SAT, the April ACT) have been canceled due to the Coronavirus, and it is uncertain as to which of the future testing dates will actually be held. We believe that both of these testing agencies are considering adding additional dates, but there has been nothing definitive. Currently, the ACT is opening registration for the September and October sittings starting in July, but we will continue to monitor if they make changes to this. If you haven't yet taken at least one of these standardized tests, we recommend that you register for the August SAT and/or the September ACT sitting as soon as you are able, as spots will fill up. Click here to review testing dates. We have been in contact with many colleges over Spring Break, and they have consistently communicated that they are fully aware that these are exceptional circumstances that are entirely out of your control. Their message has been one of reassurance, and they are aware that the Class of 2021's testing profile, nationwide, will likely be different than usual. Test-Optional We have seen a growing number of institutions respond to the testing cancellations by choosing to go test-optional. In just the past week, the following schools have announced they will be test-optional: Boston University (one year only), Case Western Reserve University (one year only at this point), Scripps College, Tufts University (for the next three years, and then they will re-evaluate). We anticipate there will be more schools to follow suit. Additionally, we encourage you to review the extensive list of test-optional colleges found on Fairtest.org. Subject Tests (SAT 2) Historically, Subject Tests (they usually correlate most closely to content taught in AP courses) have been taken by some students as a way to show strength in a discipline to a college. While we have typically advised that students applying to the nation's most selective institutions plan to take two of these tests, we don't feel students should focus on these tests for this particular cycle. MIT, for example, announced last week that not only are they dropping their Subject Test requirement, but they will not review them even if a student takes the tests and submits scores. Students who were considering Subject Tests should discuss the matter with their counselor. Family Meetings We will resume our Family Meetings this week. As long as we are in distant learning mode, we will hold these meetings via Zoom. Students know how to schedule a time using our YouCanBookMe links on MyHB. Once the student books a time, we will email the student and her parents a Zoom invitation. If you are struggling to find a time that works, students should let their counselors know so that we can find something that does. Junior Forum Continues We will be spending the next four cycles on the Common App essay, through both course content on our class page and one-on-one meetings between the student and counselor. Our goal is for students to have a really solid draft of their essay in place before summer. Virtual College Exploration Week Strive Scan, a company that manages college fairs, is planning to host a Virtual College Exploration Week April 20-23. They are still in the planning stages for this event. They have not yet indicated which colleges will be participating, but we think the event, which is dedicated to juniors, has a lot of potential. Information sessions will last 45 minutes, and the program will be held from 10:00 am - 9:00 pm over these four days. Registration is required and we believe registration will open at the end of the first week of April. Click here for information (though it is still somewhat limited); we encourage you to bookmark the link so you can revisit the site for updates. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you have. We are eager to help in any way we can, and we hope that all of you and your loved ones are staying well. Warmly, Mrs. Appenheimer, Ms. Freitag, and Mr. Hernandez 
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