PSAT Cancelled; Read Mr. Yu's Letter

Dear Stuyvesant High School Community, READ THIS LETTR IN CHINESE HERE

Since the start of this school year we have had to make several difficult decisions as result of the changing circumstances caused by the pandemic. Every important decision we have made has been examined to weigh the tradeoffs and possible options while incorporating the feedback from our students, staff, and families. After careful consideration of the current factors, Stuyvesant High School will not administer the PSAT on January 26, 2021.

The decision to cancel the January PSAT was primarily a result of two critical factors:

• Closure of New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) public high school buildings (NOTE: High school buildings have been closed since 11/19/20 and a reopening date has not been announced)
• January increase (and anticipated increases) in 7-day COVID-19 positivity rate across the City

We recognize the PSAT has been a priority for our students particularly for our juniors focused on qualifying for the National Merit Scholarship, which is why we took the necessary steps in working in concert with the Parent Association and the School Leadership Team to explore a possible administration of the PSAT in January. The collaborative effort made by the school and the Parent Association included:

• Preorder of 815 PSAT examinations from the College Board for all of Grade 11. The PSAT is made possible annually with the gracious donation of a Stuyvesant Alumnus.
• Exploration of an alternative site--Jacob Javitz Center--to accommodate a large number of students following social distance guidelines
  (NOTE: Javitz Center management confirmed NYS emergency orders apply with a maximum of 50 people per room)
• Informal survey of Grade 11 students to gauge January PSAT interest
• Faculty survey to gauge proctor interest for January PSAT administration

Our next steps will focus on the in-school administration of the March 2021 SAT for current Grade 11 students, since the National Merit Scholarship Corporation will accept SAT scores taken from August 2020 to June 2021, in lieu of the PSAT. Students can be considered for the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program by Alternate Entry to the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program (please review carefully).

It is important to note, the NYC DOE has not made a decision on the in-school SAT scheduled on March 3, 2021; however, we will continue to work closely with both the College Board and NYC DOE to determine next steps. We will continue to update you when we have more information.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to explore options for our students.

Sincerely yours,

Stuyvesant High School Administration