College admission tests are a very crucial part of the recruiting process and taking them early can really increase your chances of getting your dream scholarship or to get into your favorite university. While things have changed a little bit since the pandemic, we still encourage all our athletes to take the SAT, as well as one of the English tests for athletes from non-English speaking countries. Before the pandemic, the SAT was mandatory and every school required it for admission purposes. However, this is no longer the case and a lot of colleges and universities no longer require it. We still recommend all our athletes to take it though, for several reasons. The first one being that some schools indeed still ask for the SAT, so by not taking it, you might eliminate certain schools from your lists of possible options. Second of all, a good SAT score might help you qualify for an academic scholarship, which can then be combined with your sports scholarship, hence reducing the cost for you and your family. And lastly, a good SAT score can improve your total resume and therefore make you more attractive to coaches and to college admission departments. So we still highly recommend to take the SAT and also to do so sooner rather than later!
Now, as a foreign student from a non-English speaking country, you will also need an English tests to show colleges that your level of English is good enough to study in the US. This type of test is not optional and is in fact required by every university. While there are several options here, the two most common English tests are the Toefl and the Duolingo. The Toefl is the most established English test and is accepted by every school in the country. The Duolingo is still fairly new, but is quickly gaining in popularity and is already recognized by around 80% of the colleges. Now, since an English test is mandatory, we strongly recommend taking one of these two tests as early as you can and ideally during your junior year of high school.
The same timeline also applies for the SAT if you plan to take it. By taking it about 12-18 months before your college start date, you will have the opportunity to take it again if needed and more importantly, you will have a complete resume to offer to coaches before recruiting really starts heating up in the summer between your junior and senior year. So make sure you start preparing your tests early and try to take them as soon as you can. This will allow you to maximize your options and opportunities and it will put you in a better position than most of your competition who might be waiting until the very last moment to take their tests!