Looking to take the SAT this summer? Plan to travel. LI sites are booked
The College Board, which runs the SAT, said it does not expect to add testing sites on Long Island for the August date. Credit: Newsday
For Long Island high school students who want to take a college-entrance exam this summer: Be prepared to travel.
There are only a handful of SAT sites for the Aug. 24 exam on Long Island, and they have been booked for weeks. The other college entrance exam, the ACT, is not given in New York in July.
The New York City-based College Board, which runs the SAT, said it does not expect to add sites for the August date. It’s typically up to schools to host the exam, but that can be difficult in the summer months, educators said. Sites also must be approved by the College Board.
There are six sites listed for the SAT on Long Island for August; there often are dozens of sites during the school year.
“The College Board introduced the August SAT in 2017 and students have had a hard time getting seats since then,” said Tom Ehlers, founder of Method Learning, an East Northport-based business that partners with districts across the Island to offer entrance exam classes and tutoring to students. “It’s a shame that this has been a problem for seven years.”
The SAT, or Scholastic Assessment Test, has been used in the college admissions process for decades, though many schools have gone “test-optional” in recent years. Test-optional means students can submit scores for college entrance if they choose.
Asked if there are plans to expand the number of testing sites for the August exam, the College Board said in a statement: “We work with schools and other education institutions to identify additional potential testing sites for weekend administrations of the SAT as the demand requires. That process is ongoing and if new sites are added, we try to announce them at least 30 days prior to the test date.”
The SAT will be given again in October, November and December. An all-digital exam debuted in March. There are dozens of sites with seats available for Oct. 5, from the East End to western Nassau County.
“The August test availability has always been limited, and in my experience with our students, it has not caused a problem because they have then taken it in October,” said Susan Hance, guidance department chairperson for Sachem High School North and SAT/ACT test coordinator for the district.
Applicants should be able to get scores to colleges by their deadlines, including those who may apply early, educators said. But waiting until October to take the SAT could add stress for high school seniors as they navigate the college admissions process.
“The problem with that is your back is to the wall. You only have one try left, and that puts pressure on you,” said Brian Prestia, owner of Reason Test Prep based in Huntington. He’s had students travel to New Jersey and Connecticut to take the exam over the summer.
Another option is to take the ACT, or American College Testing, which will be given Sept. 14 on Long Island.
Student participation in the SAT and the ACT had fallen after colleges and universities stopped requiring the scores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, some top universities, including Brown, Dartmouth, Georgetown and Yale, have reinstated the exams for admission consideration. Nearly all of Long Island's colleges and universities remain test-optional, but some have specialized programs that are not.
“A lot of students didn’t prepare for the SAT because it was test-optional for the majority of their … schools But now it's back to being required, and a lot of students are texting us saying, ‘Oh, my God — I have to take the SAT,’ " said Ross Weber of The Long Island Tutoring Co., cofounded with his sister, Diana Weber, and based in Huntington.
For students looking for admission to top schools, it's best to submit a strong score now that the pendulum has swung back in the direction of colleges requiring SAT/ACT scores or favoring applicants who submit them, Prestia said. “That is partly what has led to the lack of availability — demand is outstripping supply,” he said.
The issue is not just on Long Island. There's been reports of students in northern California traveling more than 100 miles to find a test site. The College Board attempted to offer an SAT at a hotel in Oakland, but technical issues led to the cancellation for more than 1,000 students.
“I was following the issue in California where there was such an uproar over students having to travel to other states to take the SAT because test centers booked up so quickly,” said Weber. “And it’s also happening on Long Island. There has to be a change going forward. Some students prepare for months for the test and are actually excited and eager to take it, and it is devastating when after all that preparation they cannot take the test unless they cross state lines.”
Long Island typically has dozens of test sites available during the school year, but those too have become more popular. Ehlers suggested exams could be hosted at community college campuses.
“The College Board would very happily approve any high school on Long Island as a site if they said, 'We are willing to do it,' " he said. But districts would have to hire proctors and make other arrangements during a time when schools are typically closed.
Hance said sites in her district — which can seat about 200 students — have been full for the exams in March, May and June. Students had the option to travel to other districts. She said students who want to take the test in October should sign up as soon as they can.
For Long Island high school students who want to take a college-entrance exam this summer: Be prepared to travel.
There are only a handful of SAT sites for the Aug. 24 exam on Long Island, and they have been booked for weeks. The other college entrance exam, the ACT, is not given in New York in July.
The New York City-based College Board, which runs the SAT, said it does not expect to add sites for the August date. It’s typically up to schools to host the exam, but that can be difficult in the summer months, educators said. Sites also must be approved by the College Board.
There are six sites listed for the SAT on Long Island for August; there often are dozens of sites during the school year.
WHAT TO KNOW
- There are only a handful of SAT sites for the Aug. 24 exam on Long Island, and those have been booked for weeks. The other college entrance exam, the ACT, is not given in New York in July.
- The College Board, which runs the SAT, said it does not expect to add sites for the August date.
- It’s typically up to schools to host the exam and that can be difficult to do in the summer months, educators said. Sites must be approved by the College Board to host an SAT.
“The College Board introduced the August SAT in 2017 and students have had a hard time getting seats since then,” said Tom Ehlers, founder of Method Learning, an East Northport-based business that partners with districts across the Island to offer entrance exam classes and tutoring to students. “It’s a shame that this has been a problem for seven years.”
The SAT, or Scholastic Assessment Test, has been used in the college admissions process for decades, though many schools have gone “test-optional” in recent years. Test-optional means students can submit scores for college entrance if they choose.
Asked if there are plans to expand the number of testing sites for the August exam, the College Board said in a statement: “We work with schools and other education institutions to identify additional potential testing sites for weekend administrations of the SAT as the demand requires. That process is ongoing and if new sites are added, we try to announce them at least 30 days prior to the test date.”
The SAT will be given again in October, November and December. An all-digital exam debuted in March. There are dozens of sites with seats available for Oct. 5, from the East End to western Nassau County.
“The August test availability has always been limited, and in my experience with our students, it has not caused a problem because they have then taken it in October,” said Susan Hance, guidance department chairperson for Sachem High School North and SAT/ACT test coordinator for the district.
Applicants should be able to get scores to colleges by their deadlines, including those who may apply early, educators said. But waiting until October to take the SAT could add stress for high school seniors as they navigate the college admissions process.
“The problem with that is your back is to the wall. You only have one try left, and that puts pressure on you,” said Brian Prestia, owner of Reason Test Prep based in Huntington. He’s had students travel to New Jersey and Connecticut to take the exam over the summer.
Another option is to take the ACT, or American College Testing, which will be given Sept. 14 on Long Island.
Student participation in the SAT and the ACT had fallen after colleges and universities stopped requiring the scores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, some top universities, including Brown, Dartmouth, Georgetown and Yale, have reinstated the exams for admission consideration. Nearly all of Long Island's colleges and universities remain test-optional, but some have specialized programs that are not.
“A lot of students didn’t prepare for the SAT because it was test-optional for the majority of their … schools But now it's back to being required, and a lot of students are texting us saying, ‘Oh, my God — I have to take the SAT,’ " said Ross Weber of The Long Island Tutoring Co., cofounded with his sister, Diana Weber, and based in Huntington.
For students looking for admission to top schools, it's best to submit a strong score now that the pendulum has swung back in the direction of colleges requiring SAT/ACT scores or favoring applicants who submit them, Prestia said. “That is partly what has led to the lack of availability — demand is outstripping supply,” he said.
The issue is not just on Long Island. There's been reports of students in northern California traveling more than 100 miles to find a test site. The College Board attempted to offer an SAT at a hotel in Oakland, but technical issues led to the cancellation for more than 1,000 students.
“I was following the issue in California where there was such an uproar over students having to travel to other states to take the SAT because test centers booked up so quickly,” said Weber. “And it’s also happening on Long Island. There has to be a change going forward. Some students prepare for months for the test and are actually excited and eager to take it, and it is devastating when after all that preparation they cannot take the test unless they cross state lines.”
Long Island typically has dozens of test sites available during the school year, but those too have become more popular. Ehlers suggested exams could be hosted at community college campuses.
“The College Board would very happily approve any high school on Long Island as a site if they said, 'We are willing to do it,' " he said. But districts would have to hire proctors and make other arrangements during a time when schools are typically closed.
Hance said sites in her district — which can seat about 200 students — have been full for the exams in March, May and June. Students had the option to travel to other districts. She said students who want to take the test in October should sign up as soon as they can.
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
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Newsday Live: A chat with Joan Baez Join Newsday Entertainment Writer Rafer Guzmán and Long Island LitFest for an in-depth discussion with Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and social activist Joan Baez about her new autobiographical poetry book, "When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance."