For high school students, SAT and ACT test cancellations are the latest in a string of postponed activities because of COVID-19.

Administrators of the admissions tests have announced delays at testing centers across the nation, especially in the wake of the pandemic that has closed secondary schools, colleges and universities.

Last weekend, at sites from South Carolina to Missouri, students arriving at testing centers to take the ACT found many of them shuttered. The test had been canceled without notification from the testing service.

"The ACT scheduled for today (7/18) has been CANCELED. ACT should have contacted you. We are very sorry if you were not notified," a sign stated at a testing center in South Carolina.

"I just drove an hour away only to find out that my test center was cancelled. I received no emails about the cancellation and there were many other people waiting outside the test center that were not notified either," tweeted Marian @Marian23341409. "Give me my money back @ACT."

ACT Education Solutions, the nonprofit organization that created and administers the standardized aptitude test that many colleges and universities use to assess applicants, has not released a statement regarding the closures. But it has posted a list of all official test center cancellations as well as an opportunity for students to sign up for a registration reminder.

Students will have three opportunities to take the ACT in September and four in October.

"My kid found out that the test center is cancelled today morning when he showed up. Why did you send a confirmation email on the 15th? Why no cancellation email? This is unconscionable behavior, I want an automatic refund," tweeted A S @Sobrinhofly.

Canceled standardized tests are not the only dilemma that high school students have faced because of COVID-19. Some students who took Advanced Placement (AP) tests online in May received an error message when they hit submit. Subsequently, a lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Los Angeles.

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Test Takers File Suit Over Failed Online Exams

Additionally, since the pandemic struck, universities in the U.S. have altered their requirements for students' applications.

The University of California announced in May that they will drop the SAT and ACT requirements through the class of 2024. By 2025, the UC system, which has about 290,000 students, will either create their own test to replace it or get rid of it altogether.

SEE ALSO:

University of California Drops SAT, ACT Requirement

Harvard University in Massachusetts also has dropped the standardized admission's test.

SEE ALSO:

Harvard Drops SAT/ACT Scores for New Admissions

But for students still planning on attending a school with SAT and ACT testing requirements, the pandemic poses a problem.

"This is now my fourth test that's been canceled," tweeted ミ☆ @flsegd. "I found out from REDDIT that my test center was canceled because you didn't even send me an email. I almost drove 90 minutes away for the test."

For international students whose application and admissions cycle is much longer because of the time it takes to secure visas, canceled tests have become onerous. SAT tests have been canceled since April.

"Given the spring administrations canceled due to coronavirus, we are seeing very high interest in students wanting to register for the SAT," stated the College Board, a nonprofit organization based in New York that administers the SAT and other standardized tests.

The next SAT test dates scheduled for international locations are August 29, September 26, October 3, November 7 and December 5.

"As a result, there is a greater volume than usual of students trying to register. Students may expect interruptions and delays online."

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)