PLANNING & PREPARING

Test Dates

SAT Updates: The College Board, reversing their previous decision, has announced they will not be offering an at-home, online exam in the Fall. This news coincides with the opening of registration for Fall SAT dates and the generally-disappointing result of at-home AP testing. To compensate, they will be adding test centers and test dates across the Fall and Winter.

What do I need to apply to colleges and universities?

  • Transcript
  • ACT/SAT Test Scores
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • College Essays
  • Short Answers
  • Application Fees

When should I apply?

There are 2 main times to apply to college:

  1. Early Action/Early Decision deadlines are from mid-October to November 1st. To meet these deadlines, you should be working on applications August through October. 
  2. Regular Decision deadlines are anywhere from mid-December to after you graduate high school. There is more time to work on these applications (Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, Spring Semester). 

Early Action/Early Decision is best if you are happy with your grades and test scores, feel prepared, already have a good sense of where you want to apply to, and want to be finished with the college application process as soon as you can. 

Regular Decision and Rolling Admission allows you more time, but it probably means you'll be hustling through your senior year.

How do I register for the ACT/SAT? How should I study?

You should have taken the ACT as a junior around late February/early March. To register, you'll need your ACT ID, found on the ACT score report. (Ask Ms. Tran or your counselor.) 

  1. Create an ACT account at ACT.org.
  2. Indicate that you've taken the ACT before but have not registered for the ACT before.
  3. Type in your name and email address. 
  4. On the next page, type in your ACT ID.
  5. Once you have an account, click "Register to Test" towards the left. 
  6. Complete all the required fields (indicated by an asterisk (*)).

Study for the ACT on ACT Academy. You can also check out Kaplan and Princeton Review for free (and paid-for) resources. Reference my calendar to find free ACT prep event.

If you've taken an AP Exam before, you should already have a CollegeBoard account. If you do not, create an account at sat.org/register.

  1. Once you're logged in to your account, click "Register Now," then "Continue"
  2. Complete all the required fields. 

Study for the SAT on Khan Academy. You can also check out Kaplan and Princeton Review for free (and paid-for) resources. Reference my calendar to find free ACT prep event.

For the ACT and the SAT, you will need to upload a photo of yourself. At the end, you'll need to print the admissions tickets. The ticket has all the info you need - where to go, when to go, what to bring, what not to bring. This ticket and a photo ID are the two most important things to bring to the test.

If you qualify for free lunch or reduced lunch or if there are extenuating financial circumstances that make it difficult for you to pay for the ACT/SAT, see Ms. Tran for a fee waiver so you can take the test for free.


Minimum Requirements

UNC System Schools have decided to be test-optional. Standardized tests (ACT/SAT) won't be required for 2021 admission because of the uncertainty around COVID-19.

You can find additional schools offering test-optional admissions at fairtest.org/university/optional

UNC System Schools

Appalachian State University
East Carolina University
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville State University
NC A&T University
NC Central University
NC State University
UNC - Asheville

UNC - Charlotte
UNC - Chapel Hill
UNC at Greensboro
UNC - Pembroke
UNC School of the Arts
UNC - Wilmington
Western Carolina University
Winston-Salem State University

What colleges and universities should I apply to?

  1. Likely Schools
  2. Target Schools
  3. Reach Schools
nhs.dukecac@gmail.com     ||     919.391.6441     ||     calendly.com/nhs-dukecac
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