By Therese Bernal

Gaze up from the foot of the hill. Above it, an eagle soars. There are many of you who lie beneath its watchful eye—determined, doubtful, yearning students, armed with but pen and mind. Lines of information familiar like the back of a hand, and dreams of a distant future are but left to thrum through a beating heart. Months of earnest preparation have boiled down to this—but the battle is never truly over until the questionnaire graces the desk.

After two grueling years amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ateneo de Manila University has reinstated the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET) as one of its admission requirements for SY 2023-2024. This move comes during an unprecedented time of transition and change for many educational institutions, which have promptly carried out adjustments to the new normal since the emergence of more lenient protocols.

As the university prepares to return its entrance test, the students also had to prepare, following a two-year break from handwritten and time-pressured tests.

For many seniors, college application season always comes with an air of apprehension and doubt. Although, with the re-emergence of college entrance tests, it seems these feelings have undeniably increased tenfold. Now, students are thrust into a lion’s den of uncertainty, anxiety, and pressure. Without previous batches to tell a similar tale, this year’s wave of college-hopefuls journey up the steep hill with nothing but each other—and a dream.

The Battle

College admissions can be one of the most important milestones within one’s lifetime, and thus, require a great deal of honing and preparation. You might find yourself, perhaps, using one of the unique methods of CET preparation that students like to employ. During the first summer months after junior year, some have opted to enroll in review centers that readily streamline most topics of interest within an admissions test. While for others, they may have preferred to use other resources at their disposal—from old high school modules to online materials, and specialized textbooks. 

A change then comes after. A new school year begins, a new batch of enthusiastic juniors join your company, and a new set of subjects now line your academic calendar. With this, of course, also comes new responsibilities—and you find your weeks distinguished by deliverables instead of dates. 

For some, the line between work and rest becomes increasingly narrower, occupied by full timetables and the unwavering burden of a never-ending review. For others, the thought of college entrance tests distantly fades into the background—but as the date of your first test fast approaches, so does a collective restlessness. 

Then suddenly, weeks before the ACET, many students find themselves beginning again to embark upon their rigorous reviews. While the length of this period may vary for some, the process still stayed the same: browsing through materials, answering timed practice tests, repeat.

Days of cramming information and meticulous studying pass by in a blur. Then, the day comes.

The Story

Ideally, the true battle should have ended the night your final set of notes were stowed away, and you allowed yourself a good night’s rest before the test. This year’s ACET, however, certainly proved itself to be rather unpredictable—perhaps in more ways than one.

October 29, 2022

On the first day of the original ACET schedule, a blanket of unsettling gray skies loomed above the Loyola Heights campus. The first batch of test-takers had arrived by 7 AM, herded into specific holding areas before being allowed into their designated venues. Five hours later, a second batch would soon take their place, ideally following the same process as before.

However, as the day drew on, the weather outside grew progressively worse. Rain thundered upon the asphalt as the wind whistled and blew. Many students, especially those who had to commute to and from the campus, were left drenched by the turbulent storm. Upon taking the test itself, those who had the misfortune of occupying the desks by the window shivered in the cold. Strong gusts of wind threatened to snatch test papers, lights flickered overhead, doors slammed shut, and window frames shuttered. 

While the first day proceeded as planned, because of the hurdles brought about by this inclement weather, the university decided to postpone the ACET until the following weekend amidst increasing safety and logistical concerns for test-takers. 

November 5-6, 2022

Circumstances had thankfully taken a turn on the days of the rescheduled ACET. Students who traveled to the campus were greeted with sunny skies and relatively calm weather. Martials stood stationed throughout the venue to guide the applicants, who were asked to line up by room number before proceeding into their testing rooms. In line with COVID-19 protocols, the school also became strict with the wearing of face masks. 

The day proceeded in a typical standardized testing process. In large text, the proctor periodically wrote the time left on the board—and without the disturbance of the weather, the students were left to solely focus on finishing the exam.

Despite the complications that had beset this year’s ACET, the determination of the applicants undoubtedly did not waver. Regardless of the schedule, each tried their best to retell their story of hope and preparation—translating the arduous battle that had passed onto paper.

As the answer sheet graces the desk, time becomes your biggest enemy. Memories and information come rushing through your mind like a flood—sometimes fleeting, other times lingering on the tip of your tongue. Formulas and equations swirl into a distant headache, and the pressure builds and builds almost suffocatingly in your chest. 

The hours pass by at an incomprehensible pace—until finally, a close.

The Aftermath

The emotional rollercoaster slows to a halt. Feelings of fatigue and anxiety, of course, remain—but with them comes the resolution of peace, hope, and retrospection.

Looking back on the events of this year’s ACET, there are quite a number of things that applicants argue could have been done differently. Some might agree that urgency in proper planning and logistics was needed. Leniency in postponement could have been taken, which would significantly increase equity among test-takers. Others posit that the allocation and transferring of students between venues could have been more organized, especially for applicants who were not familiar with the campus. 

Nonetheless, in spite of these challenges, an unfaltering spirit remains. This year’s ACET, despite its drawbacks, signifies a new era for what is to come—an inconspicuous breakthrough after years of being swallowed in uncertainty. Indeed, not even the most difficult of obstacles can diminish the eagerness of a willful heart, and a long-running dream that is close to its fruition.

The results of applications for the undergraduate batch of Ateneo de Manila University for SY 2023-2024 are anticipated to be released in April 2023. In the meantime, our seniors look forward to the months ahead with hope, yearning, and tempered expectations.

And as for you, who continues to gaze up from the foot of the hill, may you continue to soar high—wherever your wings might take you.