The ACET Diaries

With the news that Ateneo De Manila University has canceled this year’s entrance examinations due to the unending catastrophe brought by the pandemic, it is now the time to share my extraordinary experience taking the ACET last year. It was the very first to administer its examination, on September 21, 2019, out of the five top universities in the Philippines. And it was the second to release its results, in January 2020, following La Salle.

To be honest, I had never considered studying in Ateneo. The tuition fee speaks alone on its prestige and reputation. The notion that I would be entering on its hallways was pure fantasy. By that time, our house would have been for sale.

But I tried the ACET just to see whether or not I would be qualified in one of their programs.

The application began on July 8, 2019. Applicants needed to answer a 5-page application form, containing details about our background and affiliations. Sealed recommendation forms from the principal, guidance counselor and/or class adviser were required to be submitted alongside the application form. A personal essay about a significant experience in my life was also required, which I posted on my blog two months ago. Here’s an excerpt:

In my heart, I knew that my mission was to focus my eye on what I don’t usually see, and let God devise a plan to regain its lost beauty. Maybe I was just too late to see what I should do in life. Nevertheless, because of our simple gestures, and because of our personal desires on something, we would be able to realize who we are in this world, and what we are doing here.

Today, I foresee that if my children are already equipped with proper ethics and virtues, I will have to say that their mission is not chosen by their personal interests, but of God. I will have to say that their mission is selfless, for we have to be dedicated to it. And I will have to say that their mission is a way of God to promote change in an imperfect society, where sinfulness is tempting, but His Son’s salvation is sparing.

On September 21, 2019, I took the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET). Unfortunately, I didn’t qualify.

Besides the ACET, I applied for a scholarship, in the hopes that if I passed the entrance exam, and eventually accept their offer, I would be able to study there for free. It was a bewildering confrontation between me and my mother as we listed our yearly incomes and expenses. I would keep this part confidential as we don’t want anyone gossiping about our household expenses.

With all the requirements assembled, it is now time to visit Katipunan to submit these documents. There was no option to deliver them via courier service.

I was mentally and physically drained when I got home. The stress was unimaginable. ACET truly squeezed me like a lime.

The inclement weather would have prevented us from going there. But because that Saturday was the only day-off my mother has, we had no choice but to move forward with our plans. We weren’t really rushing through the deadline, which was September 4, 2019. But we wanted our application to be processed early so that we won’t experience the long lines on the final day of submission. Why would we do something tomorrow if we could do it now?

At 5:30 in the morning, we prepared ourselves. Luckily, a Grab car was available near the vicinity to pick us up in Taytay. By 6 AM, my mother was already conversing with the driver pretty nicely.

Our driver was a bit lost finding the Office of Admission and Aid as we arrived at the campus at around 7 AM. He turned left and right searching for the building. Who wouldn’t be lost in a 133-acre property filled with similar buildings and broad football fields? Thankfully, after 10 minutes of wandering, we’d found our target.

There were about four to five people when we entered the office. Two grandparents applying for their granddaughter were so infuriated when they learned that their requirements were lacking. Her school was so slow to process documents, they argued, and asked for the personnel’s consideration. But the protocol is protocol. And they were forced to leave empty-handed.

Thank God that my requirements were complete. If not, my mother would have been a Super Saiyan, feeling nothing but consternation.

After nearly two hours of waiting for my test permit, we finally exited the door. But where will we ride to get out of this massive campus? Luckily, an e-jeepney was waiting for passengers at the entrance of the building. Since the rain subsided, we got a chance to take pictures of the surroundings. We were amazed by the visuals we’ve seen. It was truly a fascinating experience.

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Since the rain subsided, we got a chance to take pictures of the surroundings. We were amazed by the visuals we’ve seen. It was truly a fascinating experience.

Fast forward to September 21, 2019. Judgment day has approached. Inside my bag were two pieces of No. 2 pencils, one gel pen, snacks and bottled water. We arrived at around 6:00 AM. By that time, Atenista-wannabes had already swarmed the testing areas. Some were conversing in an admixture of English and Filipino. “Do you have lapis?,” one student said. I felt like an outsider. My hands were trembling. What the heck was I doing there? But never mind the feelings. Focus on the exams.

ROTC Cadets commanded us like generals. We lined up in a covered court according to the room number indicated on the test permit. Unexpectedly, comfort rooms were a blockbuster. Why did everybody suddenly want to pee? Were they all anxious? Thank God that one male comfort room was not much occupied.

After thirty minutes of standing, we quietly went to our testing rooms. The battle for the ACET began. A 2010 edition booklet was distributed to us. Each portion of the exam strictly followed a time limit. If I remember it correctly, the Math test was about 45 minutes, the English subtests ranged from 5 to 30 minutes, the Science test was about 30 minutes and the other tests were about 15 minutes.

My eyes wanted to pop at the time. You needed to answer the questions as swiftly as you can. Because of that, I just selected an answer for every question depending on gutfeel and the small amount of stock knowledge that I had. Every second was precious. That’s why if you skip a question, you may never have the opportunity to revisit it again.

I seated at around four hours on a wooden chair in a modest classroom. The silence was deafening. The pressure was ubiquitous. The perspiration was evident.

Those four grueling hours decreased my confidence. I knew in my heart that I would not make it. But I reserved 1% optimism, hoping that things would go the other way.

Past 11 AM, we were released from the dungeon (sorry for the term). Four school vans were waiting outside to pick up the students. But because they were quickly filled, I decided to take a walk. I felt like an adventurer, looking at my fellows taking pictures at each other and thinking about my own future. I was partly ecstatic. I had my regrets already. But I sighed in relief knowing what it felt like taking a college admission test.

I felt like an outsider. My hands were trembling. What the heck was I doing there? But never mind the feelings. Focus on the exams.

I was mentally and physically drained when I got home. The stress was unimaginable. ACET truly squeezed me like a lime.

Four months later, the results came out. My name was nowhere to be found in the database. That meant that I did not qualify for Ateneo. I already knew it. But somehow, it struck a nerve. To deny it is simply untrue.

My confidence slightly regained when I saw a Twitter post saying that her name was misspelled in the database, believing that she failed the test. When she contacted the university, she was informed that she passed. So, I contacted the university myself. But the bad news was still echoed to me.

To this year’s ACET applicants, I hope that your grades and affiliations will be enough to cross through the narrow hole of the needle. The admission rate is about ten to twenty percent. To be part of the lucky ones is just simply remarkable.

Nearly eight months after the results of the ACET were publicized, the Office of Admission and AID announced that there would be no ACET this year. It was startling at first but I understood the reason for the cancellation. Maybe next year’s freshies were unlucky because they did not experience the stress and excitement of ACET. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment to be relished. To fail or succeed in the test did not matter. It was only the experience that I gained that did.

To this year’s ACET applicants, I hope that your grades and affiliations will be enough to cross through the narrow hole of the needle. The admission rate is about ten to twenty percent. To be part of the lucky ones is just simply remarkable.

This is my ACET story that I will share for the rest of my life without fear of humiliation. We have different narratives to tell. This is mine.