The New Normal: What Test-Optional Colleges Mean for Your Child

Join The Harley School on March 18 at 7pm for “The New Normal: What Test-Optional Colleges Mean for Your Child”

Blurb: Each year over the past decade more colleges announced that they were ending requirements that applicants submit SAT or ACT scores—joining hundreds of others in the “test-optional” camp. The COVID pandemic accelerated this trend dramatically. With this change came a deluge of applications to ultra and highly competitive schools, swelled by the many students who would have previously counted themselves out from applying due to their test scores. 

While some colleges might go back to business as usual, many are sticking with test-optional admissions for the next few cycles, at least. If reliance on standardized testing will never return to pre-pandemic levels, which now seems likely, how will institutions adjust to a new selection model tailored to their mission and circumstances and how can students best prepare to show colleges their abilities and qualities?

Speakers:

Amanda Edelhart

Director of College Counseling, The Harley School

Amanda has worked in education for twenty years. Over the last decade, she has led school-based college counseling programs internationally and, now, in the US at The Harley School. She is a firm believer that college admissions support should be tailored to the specific needs of each student. In her opinion, the move of many schools to embrace test-optional admissions allows talented, interesting students of huge potential (who might not be great standardized test-takers) to consider schools where they might not otherwise have applied in the past.

Brandon McCallister

Assistant Director of Admissions, The University of Chicago

Brandon McCallister is an Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Chicago. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 2018 with a dual degree in Comparative Human Development and Theater and Performance Studies and has been working in their admissions office ever since. During his time at UChicago admissions, Brandon has helped lead and create college access programs for students in the city of Chicago as well as working as the Upstate New York representative for the past three years.

Zoom Registration link: 

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sf-2vrTsrGt3Dviub3KXQtiCs-zK7UfIz 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.