The June SAT & ACT Are Closer Than You Think
...Which means prep starts now.
The typical school year may last 10 months or so, but some months fly much faster than others. The first few months of the academic year proceed at a tentative pace as students and teachers alike relearn classroom culture. Everything leading up to Winter Break occurs at a reasonable pace. Winter itself may not feel much faster. By the time we reach February, though, a few complications become apparent:
Teachers have to move faster and assign more in order to cover mandatory content.
Winter activities and sports roll right into spring activities and sports with barely a week between in many cases.
Spring break is a key opportunity for extended college visits.
Advanced Placement exams in May demand extensive preparation and study.
Academic fatigue sets in as we creep ever closer to summer break.
For decades, I've watched this dynamic play out over and over. Students who planned with the best intentions to either complete testing by March or pursue prep after winter commitments suddenly face the reality of a tough sprint to the end of the year. The spring months present abundant challenges for any consistent prep efforts. This means that if you have to take the June SAT and/or ACT, you have to start prep much earlier than you'd expect.
When author Marie Lu wrote, “June will break your heart,” she was talking about a person, not the month that begins with two influential college entrance exams in rapid succession. Long ago, I described the tepid case for taking the June SAT & ACT. Basically, June testing is far from ideal but still better than waiting until the fall if you need to reach your target scores.
If you are planning on testing in June, make those tests count. If you haven't already begun, start prep now to account for Spring Break, AP exams, or any other predictable and valid commitments that may demand your time. Be mindful of the challenges June testing can and will throw at you, and you can still put yourself on track for success!
