Whereas Indian universities use a variety of exams similar to JEE, CUET, NEET, and extra, in accordance with the programs they’ve to supply, many non-public establishments are more and more favouring the SAT.
Outstanding non-public establishments, together with Ahmedabad College, Ashoka College, Bennett College, BITS Pilani, FLAME College, NMIMS, and Krea College, now settle for SAT scores from resident/non-resident Indians and worldwide candidates.
Rushi Sheth, Vice President (Worldwide), School Board, highlighted the significance of increasing alternatives for Indian college students.
“There are alternatives for glorious schooling in India so our aim is to not see profitable outcomes solely within the type of outbound migration,” stated Sheth.
It isn’t about figuring out the highest college students and exporting them to the US, however about making Indian college students perceive the choices which might be out there to them right here.
Rushi Sheth, The School Board
“So once we take into consideration the place we wish to put money into India, it isn’t about figuring out the highest college students and exporting them to the US, however about making Indian college students perceive the choices which might be out there to them right here.”
The School Board just lately hosted the India International Larger Schooling Alliance Discussion board 2024 in New Delhi, which centered on guaranteeing profitable pupil transitions to increased schooling, aimed toward Indian establishments.
The not-for-profit organisation just lately established the India Students program to assist low-income college students from India.
This system gives lower-income college students from India choices via which they will lower your expenses as they plan for college, which features a 90% low cost on SAT registration charges and scholarships at taking part establishments.
Whereas income-eligible college students, finding out in grades 11 and 12, with annual household earnings lower than INR 8,00,000 can entry the registration, these with annual earnings between INR 8,00,000 and INR 1,500,000 can obtain a 50% low cost.
Furthermore, income-eligible college students who get a complete SAT rating of 1300 or increased can also qualify for a merit-cum-need scholarship at taking part universities.
“We want to retain and safe extra companions for the India Students Program. We’re excited to increase it with not simply the variety of scholarships but in addition via our monetary contribution to this system,” stated Sheth.
In accordance with Sheth, the School Board is trying to broaden the scholarship program by 2025.
“We wish to be a complementary piece to the schooling panorama in India. We’re additionally aiming to attach with Indian colleges and allow them to know the various choices they will entry via the School Board.”
As a way to be extra versatile with how the SAT is given, the School Board launched the digital SAT in 2023.
Potential faculty college students are nonetheless required to go to a testing web site in particular person, however they now take the examination on a private laptop computer or pill, a school-issued gadget, or a borrowed gadget offered by the School Board.
The digital SAT consists of two sections, the studying, writing, and math sections, and it’s also a lot shorter – down to 2 hours from three.
Nevertheless, issues stay about whether or not testing centres in sure locations could have the mandatory expertise to manage the SAT and the way broader take a look at safety points might be handled.
On the query of how the School Board will ship the SAT in nations or areas the place web entry may very well be a difficulty, Sheth maintained that the digital SAT is designed to accommodate such gaps in expertise.
“College students taking a digital SAT, anyplace on this planet, solely require a wifi connection two occasions, at first when they’re unlocking the take a look at and on the finish to submit their solutions,” stated Sheth.
“So we wish to guarantee that take a look at centres have some type of wifi community or mobile connection to launch a pupil’s examination.”
Beforehand the SAT has been referred to as off in three nations, with the examination additionally being hit by safety breaches in nations throughout Asia.
Reviews have prompt that in some instances, the School Board was conscious of sure safety points and nonetheless went forward with the checks.
“The most important danger to us has been the concept that somebody is breaking right into a locked room and stealing a paper copy of an evaluation. This has historically been the strongest safety menace that now we have confronted in our 120-year lengthy historical past,” stated Sheth.
“However because the world turns into extra digitally related, it turns into a lot simpler to transmit data in actual time. This has been one of many greatest motivating elements of our choice to maneuver to digital assessments.”
In accordance with Sheth, digital SAT permits the School Board to increase entry in locations whereas assuring that not all the scholars might be impacted even when one pupil’s take a look at is compromised.
In accordance with Sheth, practically 2 million college students took the SAT in 2024, up from 1.9 million in 2023.
“I believe participation within the SAT is rising. It’s nearing the pre-pandemic ranges. College students actually benefit from the expertise of utilizing their very own gadgets.”
Many SAT testing websites closed firstly of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as US faculties and universities made the take a look at elective.
However main establishments, together with the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how, Dartmouth School, Brown College, Yale College, and the College of Texas at Austin have now reinstated the examination as a part of their first-year utility course of.
The flexibility of SAT scores to assist predict first-year faculty efficiency and supply admissions officers with context for evaluating a pupil’s potential, has come up repeatedly in faculty bulletins concerning the take a look at’s reintroduction.
“We all know that universities can profit from this predictive worth of the SAT rating. It’s additionally a a lot shorter take a look at for college students now. Now we have additionally now elevated our free sources for college students,” stated Sheth.
Registration for the 2025 AP exams is now open on the School Board web site, with the appliance deadline set for November 15.
The acceptance of AP scores for faculty credit score is gaining momentum in India.
Common AI College in Karjat, Mumbai, just lately turned the primary Indian establishment to formally recognise AP credit.
“We’re evolving our AP packages to include issues that college students can then make investments their private ambitions and educational pursuits,” stated Sheth.
“AP Seminar, for instance, provides a college-level dialogue expertise, the place college students drive their very own studying by exploring matters of private curiosity, from local weather change and trend developments to financial disparity throughout nations.”
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