TAMPA, Fla. — College admission test scores are dropping lower than previously, especially ACT scores, according to the nonprofit that administers the test.
ACT scores dropped from 19.8 for the class of 2022 to 19.5 for the class of 2023. According to Collegeboard.org, SAT scores dropped from 1050 in 2022 to 1028 in 2023.
When it comes to the ACT, this is the lowest score in 30 years, and Florida is one of the states with the lowest overall scores.
That’s a lot for parents and kids to think about right now.
“It’s very stressful having a child in high school and getting ready for college,” said Jennifer Iavarone, mom of two.
Diane Rottensteiner, the owner of Huntington Learning Center Carrollwood, works with hundreds of students every year, preparing them for tests like the ACT and SAT.
“What’s unfortunate, we have tests from 20 years ago that were much more difficult,” she said. “So the tests have gotten easier, and the scores continue to go down.”
According to her and others like Vera Murphy Trayner, the owner of Veritas College Counseling, one of the big factors leading to the lower scores is COVID 19. The class of 2023 is the first class to go through high school from the start of the pandemic.
Rottensteiner said the other factor is that “the curriculum isn’t as rigorous as it used to be,” especially vocabulary. She said the first thing she does with students is test their vocabulary when they come to her office.
She has a list of 66 words that are used on the SAT and ACT.
“It would say maybe one out of 200 students can define one or two words,” she said. “To be good at test taking, you have to have good reading comprehension. You have to understand what you just read. You have to answer the question in less than a minute.
Since the start of the pandemic, some colleges and universities decided to no longer require the SAT or ACT. That’s good for some students, but Murphy Trayner said those scores are still very important for Florida students because of the Bright Futures scholarship.
“They are eligible for up to 75% or even 100% of the state scholarship. That’s a big number. The SAT and ACT scores are a big part of that requirement, along with your GPA and volunteer hours. Those tests are critical.”
High school counselors agree and said that students who want to go to college should start planning early, and it doesn’t hurt to look into programs like Veritas or Huntington.
Iavarone put her sons in Huntington and said it’s the best gift she’s ever given them.
“When my eldest started at Huntington, his first ACT score had him at HCC,” she said. “After completing his time here, we’re now looking at prestigious Ivy League schools and full scholarships. He’s so proud of himself.”
The SAT is going digital next year. Experts believe that will make it easier for students and increase the number of students taking the test.
For information about Huntington Learning Center, visit here.
For more information about Veritas College Counseling, click here.
