Two weeks ago, my friend and I had the pleasure of driving a grueling six hours in hellish traffic to Vail for the sole purpose of taking the SAT. We were lucky enough to have a place to stay so that we could drive up the night before and sleep a solid nine hours before taking the test. The majority of our test-taking peers were not so lucky. 

Issues of accessibility and equity have existed in standardized testing for decades, but with the presence of a global pandemic, they have only gotten worse. Not only was every test date from April to July canceled for the safety of students, but now that testing centers are starting to open up, they are heavily restricted by capacity limits and safety protocols which makes it that much harder for everyone to get an opportunity to take the test. Thankfully, in an effort to make college applications more equitable, many institutions have decided to wave their testing requirements for this year or the foreseeable future. However, there is still a large population of students who rely on standardized test scores for merit-based aid or international applications, among other things. 

Whatever your opinion on the necessity, equity and accuracy of the SAT, the fact remains that many students in the class of 2021 still need to take it for one reason or another. So when I learned that many juniors were signing up for the already dwindling spots, I was more than slightly perturbed. 

To any juniors who might be taking or thinking about taking the SAT this fall: Please don’t. I completely understand the feeling of being overwhelmed that accompanies the beginning of junior year and can sympathize with the perceived need to check something off the list. Especially because everyone who has ever given you advice about getting into college has probably said something along the lines of “you want to be ahead of the curve” or “it’s important to get a headstart,” it makes sense that you want to limit the pressure and competitiveness that accompanies college admissions. That being said, this fall is not the time to be taking test availability away from seniors who still need scores. 

In normal times it would make total sense for juniors who want a headstart to take the SAT in the fall, and they often do. But given the circumstances of the world at the moment, doing so now is, quite honestly, just unnecessary. Chances are, most colleges will take into consideration any troubles that the class of 2022 faces just as much as they have for the class of 2021 and you will have plenty of time to take the test multiple times before you submit any college applications. If that isn’t reason enough for you to desist from taking the SAT to leave room for more seniors, consider the fact that the College Board has never offered an SAT in September before. Usually, fall testing starts in October, so it’s not difficult to figure out that the only reason that the SAT is being offered earlier this year is to make testing more accessible for seniors who still need it. 

All of this is in no way intended to blame the effects of an unprecedented global crisis on the 16-year-olds who are just trying to get ahead in the dog-eat-dog world of college admissions. There is no single organization, person or group of people who deserve to shoulder that blame. Instead, I would encourage juniors who have been considering taking the SAT early to take a deep breath and relax. You will have plenty of time to do everything that needs to be done. And if that advice sounds way too vague, perhaps focus instead on other ways to get a headstart on your college applications. This could be anything from joining a new club, reading up on colleges you might be interested in, talking to your counselor or just taking even more time to prepare for your tests so that when the time comes, you’ll be more than prepared. 

The world is in an uncertain and somewhat scary place right now, and everyone is facing different challenges. There is no need to add unnecessary worry to your plate, or anyone else’s. Instead, we should all be focusing on small ways that we can support each other. For you juniors, that could mean waiting until the spring to take your SAT so that seniors have more opportunities to test.