Adarsh Vijay Mudgil thought his children had every advantage for college admissions: a top high school in Long Island that offers plenty of AP courses, test-prep tutors and a private adviser to guide them on applications.
Then his daughter told him at least 60 peers received extra time to finish the ACT during their junior year at Jericho High School.
Mudgil said he doubts they all had legitimate reasons for the special accommodation. More likely, they had parents who found a loophole.
“It’s cheating,” said Mudgil, 50, whose daughter is now at the University of Virginia. “It puts our kids at a disadvantage.”
Test time has emerged as a fierce battleground among parents of high-schoolers. Students with diagnosed disabilities or medical issues for years have been given longer to finish college-entrance exams. But the ranks of the extra timers have surged, with a concentration in wealthy areas. And many parents are crying foul.
They’re training their anger on families who are going to extremes for an edge, from spending $10,000 for a diagnosis from a neuropsychologist to finding a gastroenterologist to support requests for unlimited bathroom breaks.