Why you may need to take College Board's SATs to get into India's top varsities

Now, apply to any institutions around the world with The College Board's standardised tests
All Indian alliance member universities will accept the SAT as an admissions examination
All Indian alliance member universities will accept the SAT as an admissions examination

Ever been through the endless procedure of deciding which college or university to apply to, filling application forms, writing essays and so on? Or worse, waiting for your Board exam results and wondering which competitive exams to apply for? With The College Board's new India Global Higher Education Alliance and their standardised tests, your transition to higher education will be a whole lot easier. Linda Liu, Vice-President, International, The College Board tells us more about the initiative. Excerpts:

What is the aim of the alliance?

The India Global Higher Education Alliance is a platform for driving collaboration between The College Board and participating universities in India and abroad to achieve three primary goals:

- Build a community of innovative secondary and higher education leaders who will work to improve the transition for students to higher education in India

- Establish a forum for sharing of global best practices to learn what is working in admissions around the world

- Take concrete actions to help ensure that all students in India, regardless of income, geography or social class, can access excellent higher education

The objective of the alliance is to provide a platform where stakeholders in both the higher education and secondary education can work collaboratively to streamline the transition from secondary to higher education and ensure that all students in India can access excellent higher education.

What are the functions of The College Board?

For more than a century, The College Board has been partnering with the most prominent universities around the world to connect students with higher education opportunities. The programmes have ranged from common benchmarks like the SAT to powerful university planning resources like Big Future. 

As a common university entrance exam, the SAT makes it easy for internationally mobile students to apply to universities in different countries. The College Board’s Big Future website is a comprehensive university planning tool that helps students understand the process of applying to universities overall. The college search tool on Big Future allows students to search for universities that match their interests and criteria. Universities that use The College Board's programmes are listed on Big Future’s college search tool, giving students exposure to university options which they may never have considered. When students take the SAT or other programmes, they may opt into College BoardSearch. Universities use this service to find and recruit qualified students from around the globe.

How exactly is it going to help students transition easily to universities?

There are a few ways that Indian students will benefit:

- All Indian alliance member universities will accept the SAT as an admissions examination. This will greatly simplify the process and expand opportunities for many students. Students in India can now use one test to apply anywhere in the world. Students in India will also have four opportunities each year to take the SAT.

- Students who opt to take the SAT may also prepare using the Official SAT Practice from Khan Academy (satpractice.org). This world-class resource was developed in partnership with Khan Academy and provides free, personalised and authentic practice for students.

- Indian students who qualify for fee reductions will be able to take the SAT at a reduced rate.

How will it encourage in-bound students to Indian universities?

The College Board recently formed the India Global Higher Education Alliance to provide a platform for collaborating with universities from India and abroad to share best practices and

streamline admissions for both Indian and international students, including the use of the SAT. Students all over the world can now take the SAT and apply to Indian alliance universities and universities around the world. Students who may not have considered India as a destination will have more opportunities to consider Indian universities without having to worry about taking another entrance exam just for India. Through the SAT, Big Future and College BoardSearch, Indian universities can now connect to these students to make the case for India and for their university.

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