Just a very quick update for our local San Francisco SAT test-takers.

If you're like others, you've been waiting eagerly for College Board to open registration for the August 2021 SAT. After all, it's been a difficult year students trying to make sense of the massive changes occurring in college admissions, cancelations of SAT test dates, online school for more than a year. The missing piece of the puzzle for many has been the SAT score.

If you log in to your College Board account and look for an open spot in the San Francisco Bay Area, you will unfortunately (at least as of today, 2021-07-06) not find anything available within 100 miles:

It may not make you feel much better, but when I checked on June 28 in the morning (when registration opened), there were no spots available. So honestly, I can't say with certainty that there actually ever were any spots open for San Francisco students.

Text in the image:

Test: SAT

Test Date: Saturday, August 28, 2021

Test Center: Select where you want to take the test.
[Results:] Unfortunately, your high school and/or any previous test centers aren't available. They're either not giving this test or all seats are now full.

Search for a Test Center [in] Zip code 94122 [within] 100 miles

Why are there no SAT test dates available for my area?

Good question. Here are a couple of theories:

• Too many students need to take the SAT and were unable to do so in the spring of 2021, so all the spots filled up quickly.
• If you're in California, it's possible (likely, actually) that College Board is reducing the number of SAT test sites because, as you probably know, University of California is not going to accept the SAT or ACT any longer. So it's possible that in the future, students will find it much more difficult to find SAT testing sites, as if things weren't already too challenging for today's high school students.

What should I do if I can't get an SAT test date?

Unfortunately, you don't have too many good options if you can't find a testing site near you when you need it.

Here's what we've heard over the last 1.5 years (during COVID-19) about SAT testing and getting a test date:

• Some students travel quite far, even to another state, to take the SAT.
• Some students opt for the ACT instead.
• Some students, unfortunately, just give up. (One of my students had her SAT canceled three times, and just gave up after that. It's hard to stay prepped for a long period of time.)
• You can just hope for the best; sometimes 'pop-up' sites are announced quickly, and you can get one of those dates.
• Some schools are offering in-school, school-day SAT, available to all students.

Our thoughts

Hey, we're with you. This is getting a little crazy. There's got to be a better way. Be sure to have a plan B for the SAT in case you can't take it.

Hang in there! Things will get better!