Long hours of test prep starting as early as freshman or sophomore year, many students spend months — even years — getting ready for the SAT. However, due to COVID-19, thousands of students across the nation have had their tests either cancelled or postponed.

“The first time my test was cancelled, I was optimistic and understood as to why it was cancelled,” junior Biyanka Hati said. “However, the third time it was cancelled was quite literally two days before my test. That was really frustrating because their email was very ambiguous, I had a tough time getting the information I needed about the cancellation and it was disappointing to find out that I had prepared for nothing.

Due to such cancellations, the College Board decided to offer extra test dates, including one on Sept. 26. The deadline for registration is Sept. 15, with seniors who currently do not have any scores to send to colleges receiving priority.

In order to maintain CDC safety guidelines at test centers, the capacity of each center has been reduced and many students may encounter unexpected closures. Students are encouraged to continue checking their email on a regular basis and if they see their test center is closed, they can register for a future test date at no additional fee, according to the College Board website. 

However, many colleges and universities across the nation such as Harvard and Yale have become test-optional, meaning they will no longer require SATs for fall 2021 admissions. 

However, some students like senior Ashley Philip don’t necessarily think colleges going test-optional are a good thing.

“[I feel like] class of 2021 has to deal with more competition with the kids who deferred a year from class of 2020,” Philip said via text. “It’s going to be way more difficult for them. Also I’m not sure how scholarships would play out because many of them are based off of test scores.”

Hati shares similar concerns.

“I’m really skeptical about the whole idea of colleges going test-optional,” Hati said.”I think it’s great for many people who cannot afford to take the test during this pandemic situation for a multitude of reasons. However, I feel that personally for me, having test scores may make my college application more appealing. As a result, don’t think that this decision is really going to affect how I approach college apps.”

Although, Philip believes that there are some positive aspects of colleges deciding to go test-optional.

“I think for younger classes this will be beneficial though,” Philip said. “It’s a step in the right direction by giving less attention to it [since it can put a lot of stress on students] and I think less people are going to keep taking it.”