ACT test update
An e-newsletter from Mounds View Public Schools
April 20, 2020
Dear Juniors and Junior Parents/Guardians,
My name is Michael Werner. I am the Post-Secondary Planning Coordinator for Mounds View Public Schools. I have been fortunate to meet many of you and look forward to meeting more of you during your Senior year.
No doubt all of you are aware, keenly, of the impact COVID-19 has had on education. This impact extends well beyond your high school experience. Just as K-12 has adapted to the changing landscape, post-secondary institutions are doing so as well. And, as K-12 continues to adapt in the wake of COVID-19 and the chaos this has wreaked on our student populations, current and future, post-secondary institutions will also do the same.
With the change in ACT administration from April, 2020 to October, 2020, I, along with Administrators, Deans, and District Assessment personnel, have received many questions about the impact this may have on the post-secondary admissions processes. As a national test, with limited administration dates available, colleges and universities will adapt to this new ACT administration schedule.
Students can still apply to a college or university without either having taken the ACT or still awaiting their ACT results. Applications, almost universally, ask students to identify the date when a student took the ACT or he/she plans to take the ACT in the future. The answer to this question gives Admissions Officers an idea as to when they can begin reviewing a student application and/or when to expect to receive results from the ACT. Thus, the move from an April to October ACT administration should not have a negative impact on the application processes for Fall of 2021.
As colleges and universities adapt their policies, procedures, and practices for the incoming Fall 2020 class, they will begin addressing the unique needs and impacts of COVID-19 on the Fall 2021 class. Currently, most colleges and universities are addressing the changes to grades, transcript requests, and assessment scores for their incoming classes. However, others have already addressed information for current high school juniors. Harvard University recently posted this letter to current juniors.
Though many colleges and universities have cancelled or postponed large Admissions Tours and Visits until further notice, many have created virtual experiences. I encourage all of you to engage in these opportunities at colleges and universities in which you are interested in applying. Also, Admissions Offices are open and fielding phone calls and email inquiries from remote, work-from-home locations. When moving through the collection selection process, you will quickly learn that going directly to the institution itself is the best way to get accurate, up-to-date information.
Many questions will arise as you continue to navigate this unique, changin landscape of post-secondary education. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached via email (Michael.Werner@moundsviewschools.org), by phone (651-621-6045), and Google Meet.
Take care of yourselves, your family, and each other.
Michael Werner
Post-Secondary Planning Coordinator