Imagine the following scenario: A rising senior, seeking an impactful school year and getting into the college of his/her dreams, is crushed when ACT/SAT test centers are closed and the possibility of going back to school is bleak. This probably is not too hard to imagine because millions of rising seniors are living this scenario.
Due to COVID-19, ACT test centers are having trouble complying with CDC regulations and the various stages of opening in states across the country. All of the test centers in Virginia have been closed for the June test date as announced by College Board after emailing students confirming their test would go as planned.
“How am I suppose to dive into college when I can’t even take the ACT,” said Lily Sorenson, a rising senior at John Champe High School. “Most schools aren’t administering it, yet colleges are still expecting our scores?”
“The ACT being canceled is a real bummer because I haven’t had the opportunity to take it yet, and it’s almost senior year and close to the time where I start applying to colleges,” said James Field, rising senior at Freedom High School.
Class of 2020 seniors already had a rocky end to their high school career and now rising seniors are expecting a rocky beginning. Loudoun County has come out with three options of how the school year could possibly look, with more being discussed:
- 100% of students going back to school in their respected areas
- A combination of in-person and distance learning
- 100% distance learning
These options will be decided on June 26, but the real catch is what the CDC will decide that may override the county’s plans. With all of this confusion, some students are taking this matter in their own hands.
“With the constantly changing social distancing rules, it is really hard to even want to go back to school because I don’t even know if there is anything to go back to,” Sorenson said. “That is why I think graduating early is a good idea for me because all the ‘fun parts of high school’ probably won’t even happen, so I’d rather speed the college process up.”
With most students on track for an advanced diploma, only two classes are required for senior year. These classes are offered on Virtual Virginia allowing the possibility for graduating August 2020 with a standard diploma.
“I decided to graduate early because I felt that I wouldn’t have the senior experience next year due to the possibility of school being online, and I felt ready to move onto the next chapter of my life,” said Sophia Roney, rising senior at JCHS.
