Navigating Standardized Testing: Expert Guidance for Marlborough Families

College admissions and standardized testing are an understandable point of stress for many students and families as the college application process looms throughout their high school experience. Families find themselves asking: Should my student take a standardized test? What are test-optional colleges? ACT or SAT? How many times should a student take a test? Marlborough’s College Counseling Office provides support and guidance for all students through the process, starting in 10th Grade. Students are assigned their College Counselor in the spring of 10th Grade, who then serves as an invaluable resource each step of the way. In addition, Marlborough seeks to provide myriad tools and resources to help parents and guardians feel equipped to make the best decision for their child.

With so much to know about standardized testing and college admissions, Marlborough invited Adam Ingersoll of Compass Education Group to speak with Upper School students and parents about SAT/ACT data, trends in testing for college admissions, and insight into timelines for testing and preparation. Mr. Ingersoll is a national leader in college admissions testing with over three decades of experience on the subject. For over twenty years, he has visited Marlborough to share his knowledge with parents and guardians as they navigate the college admissions process alongside their child.

As Mr. Ingersoll dove into the data on college admissions trends in the US, he emphasized that each student’s choices through the process—whether to take the ACT or SAT and whether to include scores at test-optional colleges—are unique to them. While offering specific information on the structure, changes, and challenges of the SAT and ACT in this current moment, he highlighted the ways in which test preparation is a crucial part of testing success and it must strike the right balance in order to work. 

He noted, “Part of it is content knowledge. Good test prep looks a lot like good academic tutoring. It's about trying to be efficient. Another aspect is helping the student get their head in the right place to do their best work by managing anxiety.” He offered his expertise and used case studies as examples of finding the right timing for practice tests and official tests leading up to submitting a college application.

A unique aspect of Mr. Ingersoll’s visit this year was the decision to include both parents/guardians and students in the information session. Head of Middle School Dr. Sean Fitts explained that decision: “Although parents need information to help guide their children, students are the primary stakeholders in the college admissions process, so it made sense to include them in this conversation. I hope that having the information Mr. Ingersoll shared will help students take ownership of the testing process, leading to increased motivation and accountability.”

Mr. Ingersoll’s consistent message was that there is no one-size-fits-all answer: “These choices are your own. There's no prescription.” Equipped with information and guidance, however, those choices can become clearer and more manageable.

Dr. Jawaan Wallace, Director of Enrollment Management & Collegiate Partnerships, shared how the College Counseling Office viewed the information from Mr. Ingersoll’s talk: “Adam’s visit was a meaningful extension of our college counseling work. As the head of Compass Education Group, he stays closely attuned to trends in standardized testing and the broader admissions landscape, so the information he shares is both current and highly credible. Hearing directly from an expert outside of our school helps students and families better understand how testing fits into the larger admissions picture and reinforces the guidance we provide throughout the process.”

While standardized testing and college admissions can feel overwhelming, Mr. Ingersoll’s expertise—combined with the ongoing work of Marlborough’s College Counselors—provides families with guidance and tools to make the process as successful and accessible as possible. Mr. Ingersoll provided data and information to help families and students figure out what path is best for them when it comes to standardized testing, making this important decision a little less daunting.