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The September SAT is here—and it's a game-changer. Perfectly timed for early admissions and academic breathing room, this new date gives students greater flexibility, less stress, and more strategic options. In our latest blog, we break down why this could be the smartest move in your college prep plan yet.
The College Board has again expanded the testing calendar with the addition of a September SAT testing date. This is a win for students, as the September test date is perfectly positioned to help them complete their final testing in advance of early admission deadlines or before the academic pressures from school classes fully mount.
It wasn’t so long ago that students had a significant hiatus between the June SAT and the October SAT, the final administration before early deadlines. In 2017 the College Board expanded the calendar by launching an August SAT, which has become one of the most popular test dates of the calendar year.
Summer testing makes all the sense in the world. Students are not encumbered with rigorous academic demands, and they can use a portion of their time away from school to prepare for their admissions tests. Further, summer test dates deliver results in advance of early application deadlines. In the event summer scores are not as strong as they need to be, a final fall test date is an option for students. Adding a September SAT makes summer testing even more advisable for many students.
We typically advocate students have 3 official tests in their testing plans, even if they only end up using one or two administrations to achieve their optimal score. The new September SAT date allows students to focus their energies exclusively on the school year and then shift to testing for the June/August/September or August/September/October testing triads. Given the strategic timing of this administration, we anticipate September being a very popular test date.
For ambitious juniors, the September SAT provides a great opportunity to start prep at the conclusion of sophomore year, engage in focused prep over the summer and potentially complete all testing by the beginning of junior year before academic demands have intensified. September testing is well positioned before APs and other rigorous courses or extracurriculars have hit their stride. For students who prepped over the summer by themselves, one-on-one, or in a group format, September offers an excellent chance to make strong attempts at achieving optimal scores, even if those students plan to return to testing later in the year. Some of the strongest test-takers will also use September as a practice test for the October PSAT in hopes of qualifying for the National Merit Scholarship.
For rising seniors, the September date provides an additional chance to increase their score before submitting early applications. Students who find themselves still below profile for a college on their list can take one more shot at the September test date to bring their strongest scores to their applications. If August testing doesn’t take a student to where they need to be, September is a great back-up option. For seniors applying to college via regular decision, they now have five straight testing opportunities between August and December. Every month provides an additional testing opportunity.
With the inclusion of the September SAT, the College Board now offers 8 official testing administrations over the calendar year, taking stress off of any one test. The more flexibility students have in working around their individual schedules and calendars, the better. Some students are booked solid through the school year with academics or extracurriculars, so these summer testing options are gold. Students shouldn’t feel locked into a “make or break” test date, so having additional “back up” testing opportunities such as that provided by the September SAT will lower the stakes and reduce the stress.
Take advantage of the strategically placed September SAT and be sure to register early to reserve a spot. Use this test as a stepping stone towards a stronger application and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support in reaching your testing goals.
