A Better Bluebook in 2026 🎓🦅
What should you know if you are taking or administering the March SAT?
The digital SAT experience is inextricably tied to its delivery platform—what does that mean for anyone testing this year? But first the news…
COLLEGE NEWS
Is college admissions declining? As of this year, not at all. According to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, Fall 2025 enrollment reached pre-pandemic levels, with 19.4 million students enrolled nationwide. Surprisingly, international undergraduate admissions increased, though grad enrollment did go down. Now all eyes turn to 2026…
Is college worthwhile? Alas, five quick questions cannot answer all of life’s confusing questions, but this interactive Washington Post quiz asking Is College Worth It? shares lots of facts about ROI in a fun way. No extra credit though.
North Texas Promise: Beginning in Fall 2026, the University of North Texas (UNT) will guarantee that qualifying first-time freshmen—Texas residents graduating from Texas high schools with a total family income of $100,000 or less—pursuing their first bachelor’s degree can attend UNT tuition-free for up to four years. One more catch: you have to attend University of North Texas.
PRESENTED BY CHARIOT LEARNING
If you are in the Rochester, NY area and looking for highly effective in-person SAT prep classes, you are in luck! Chariot Learning is offering several SAT/ACT Boot Camps at local schools and a rare Extended SAT Class at Allendale Columbia that is open to all students. Don’t miss out—check the Chariot Learning calendar for details.
BIG IDEA
The dramatic digital SAT revision in 2023 changed more than just content and question types. The Bluebook app designed for test delivery represented a massive transformation in how test takers accessed everything College Board had to offer. When I spoke last year with Vice President of SAT Suite Program Maureen Forman to review the first year of a domestic digital SAT, she shared insights into the thoughtful planning that determined both the contours of Bluebook at the time and how it might grow in the future. Since then, we’ve seen new tests, new practice material, and tweaks to testing accommodations. Now, the new year is bringing new changes to Bluebook.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT
Anyone preparing for the SAT or helping test takers prep gets excited at the prospect of new test content, so get psyched: College Board will be releasing a new full-length digital SAT in February 2026. Huzzah!
TESTING CHANGES
Expect a variety of changes meant to improve test security in place by the date of the March SAT:
Smart glasses will be prohibited during testing.
Minimum operating system requirements have increased across the board. Windows 10 will be supported during Spring testing, but Fall 2026 test takers will need Windows 11.
Students on school-provided Chromebooks will need verified mode enabled.
College Board released a new SAT Test Coordinator Manual for the Spring 2026 testing window—perfect for a little light reading.
Unless you’re a test site administrator, you’re probably most affected by the addition of a new practice SAT, a welcome opportunity for students who have already taken the existing seven practice tests. But maybe SAT Santa didn’t bring you everything you want this time… what addition or alteration would you like to see in the next update?
NAME THAT SCHOOL
Think you know a lot about colleges? Try to guess this institution of higher education. (Find the answer at the end of the newsletter.)
Founded in 1820 as the State Seminary, this is one of the oldest public universities in the United States.
The school is known for its exceptional music programs and has facilities comparable to major opera houses.
Boasts the nation’s largest living alumni network with over 805,000 alums
Recognized as an R1 research institution and a pioneer in the field of informatics and computer science
The most well-known (or infamous) research institute dedicated to the study of human sexuality and relationships can be found on campus.
APPLICATION ACTION STEPS
🎓 Apply to a slew of scholarships.
🎓 Make sure you know what a conjunction is.
🎓 Explore how to find best fit colleges in 2026.
🎓 Learn the power of the Letter of Continued Interest.
HOTLINE
Do you have any burning questions to ask or want to share an issue, article, or resource our readers should know about? Dial up the College Eagle hotline through this easy form. We appreciate you!
NAME THAT SCHOOL ANSWER
You may have heard that Indiana University just won the College Football National Championship, making them the newest first-time champion since the 1996 Florida Gators. Go Hoosiers!
I guessed Indiana with clue two; years ago we had a human evolution related conference there, and the big show at the plenary dinner was an opera signer who was just about to graduate from the school. That's when I learned that Bloomington was the place to go for music, especially opera!