January-February Issue IV

Features 11
The college board’s response to pandemic
related test cancellations
Recent changes to the SATs have impacted the
standardized testing world forever.
Design by Melody Hao ‘22 and Emily Zhang ‘23
Photography by Melody Hao ‘22 and Izzy Antanavicius ‘22
By KAITLYN O’MALLEY ‘22
On January 19, 2021, the College
Board announced significant
changes to the SAT and SAT
Subject Tests that will dramatically
impact the world of standardized
testing.
The nonprofit organization, College
Board, which administers many different
standardized tests nationally and internationally,
decided to discontinue offering
the SAT Subject Tests and the Optional
SAT Essay.
However, students outside of the U.S.
who are planning on taking the SAT Subject
Tests and Optional SAT Essay will be
able to do so through the June 2021 testing
date, according to the College Board
website.
Along with the removal of Subject
Tests and the Optional Essay, the College
Board released a statement about updates
to their current SAT examinations, stating
that, “[they] are investing in a more flexible
SAT—a streamlined, digitally delivered
test that meets the evolving needs of
students and higher education.”
This new, online testing option likely
comes in response to numerous test center
cancellations across the country. According
to Forbes, there have been over
275,000 student test cancellations since
October 2020 alone due to test center closures
prompted by COVID-19.
The College Board explains its decision
to discontinue the Subject Tests and
Optional Essay, arguing that “as students
and colleges adapt to new realities and
changes to the college admissions process...we’re
making some changes to reduce
demands on students.”
The College Board believes the removal
of these tests is an appropriate decision
given the realities of testing during the
pandemic. Still, Forbes seems to suggest
that this decision was made, in part, because
of the lack of revenue generated by
the Subject Tests and Optional SAT Essay
over the past few years.
These sudden announcements sent
many parents and high school students
into a panic. Students were left with unanswered
questions about whether the SAT
Subject Tests they already took will be included
in their college admissions process.
Additionally, students that devoted countless
hours to studying without a chance to
take a single test have been left feeling disappointed
and frustrated. However, some
colleges made statements to clarify the
situation.
Rachel Dane, a spokesperson for the
admissions office at Harvard University,
said, “Harvard admission officers review
all material that an applicant submits, so if
a student has already taken Subject Tests or
the essay portion of the SAT, they may still
submit it along with their other application
materials.”
According to Prepscholar, many
prestigious universities such as Stanford
University and Vanderbilt University never
required SAT Subject Tests, so this new
change is not likely to have a significant
impact on their admissions review.
Across the world, high schools are
beginning to grapple with the effects that
these policy changes bring to the college
admissions process, and will likely continue
to evolve their programs in this ever
changing world of college admissions.
Women’s History Month
By MADDIE DAVIS ‘23
Every year, the month of March is
celebrated as “Women’s History
Month,” to honor the accomplishments
of women and help recognize the
struggle for women’s rights throughout
history.
While men are often highlighted for
their contributions and successes, recently,
more women are starting to be honored and
appreciated.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton ran for President
of the United States, and now in 2021,
Kamala Harris became the first female vice
president.
In science, Emmanuelle Charlentier
and Jennifer Al Doudna won the Nobel
Prize for Chemistry in October 2020 for
their work in genome editing. Eighteenyear-old
Greta Thunberg continues to encourage
millions to join her movement to
fight climate change.
In 2021, Sarah Thomas was the first
female referee to officiate the Super Bowl.
All these milestones are a step in the
right direction, but there’s still a long way
to achieve equality for women. Today,
women are still battling for reproductive
rights, equal pay for equal work, equal access
to opportunities, and so much more.
So, how do you get involved?
Getting educated and learning about
the history of this month is a substantial
first step. Take a book out of the library and
research Rosa Parks, Jeannette Rankin,
Chien-Shiung Wu, Babe Didrikson Zaharias,
or Sojourner Truth, to name a few.
A fun way to get educated is to have a
friend or family night and watch historical
movies. Or you could even talk to relatives
about their experiences and find out what
significant movements happened in their
time.
After researching the past, move on to
the present. What are women fighting for
today? What women’s movements are currently
happening in the world? Watching
and reading the news is one way
to get information on recent
events. Following social media
accounts and activists who
shed light on women’s rights is
another way to research.
There are also several excellent
TED talks and podcasts
to jumpstart your engagement.
Some excellent TED talks I recommend
are: “Find Your Voice Against
Gender Violence,” “Why We Have
Too Few Women Leaders,” “Can We
‘Have It All’,” and “Dare to Disagree.”
After reading, researching, and educating
yourself, there are several ways to
get involved with fighting for women’s
rights and celebrating our past, present,
and future. Anything can help; you can
post on social media to spread awareness
on women’s rights or sign petitions! You
can also shop from women-owned stores
or donate money to the women’s causes
you support. It can even be as simple as
Reading— whether it’s books, newspapers, or
even social media posts— is a great way to
learn more about women’s causes.
listening to an empowering, uplifting playlist
that celebrates female artists.
Have fun with the celebrations! At
the same time, however, think about what
still needs to be done and what women are
fighting for.