Thousands of people have marched through the center of Brussels in a boisterous rally highlighting the dangers of climate change, as the COP28 climate summit draws to an end in the United Arab Emirates.

High school students’ scores on the ACT college admissions test have dropped to their lowest in more than three decades, showing a lack of student preparedness for college-level coursework, according to the nonprofit organization that administers the test.

Amy Davis answers parents’ questions about what you need to do to prepare your teenager to get accepted to the college of their choice.

In this week's episode of Ask Amy, Amy Davis talks with the President & CEO of Cram Crew, a Houston college readiness business, to find out what parents and students need to do as they prepare to send in those college applications.

Many Texas public universities have committed to accepting students who do not submit SAT or ACT standardized test scores, signaling that test-optional policies could be here to stay.

(TEXAS TRIBUNE) – Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? The University of Texas at Austin is suspending the SAT and ACT test score requirement for fall 2022 applicants, citing continued limited access to testing opportunities for students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AdLast year, multiple Texas universities temporarily scrapped the testing requirement for the 2021 applicants, including Texas A&M University, Baylor University, Texas Tech University, Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University. In Austin, St. Edward's University had been planning to permanently waive ACT and SAT requirements for months, Dean of Admissions Drew Nichols told The Texas Tribune last spring. AdDisclosure: Baylor University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, St. Edward’s University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

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In response, many Texas universities are becoming test-optional through 2021, waiving the traditional requirement for test scores to gain admission. Baylor University, Texas Tech University, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University and St. Edward's University have all temporarily scrapped their testing requirements through 2021. And some universities that were doubting the value of test scores even before the pandemic see an opportunity to change the admissions process altogether. In the absence of scores, school performance will disproportionately count towards an application, he said. My goal is to get him to college, however that happens.Disclosure: Baylor University, Texas Tech University, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Gabriel Bolanos, a junior at Cypress Ranch High School, earned the highest possible composite score of 36 on the ACT. According to a release by Cy-Fair ISD, fewer than half of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. The ACT is a standardized entrance exam used by universities to make admissions decisions for incoming freshmen. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. According to Cy-Fair ISD, only 4,879 out of nearly 1.8 million students nationwide who took the ACT in February earned a top composite score.