What You Need to Know About Test Optional Admissions Policies

While test optional admissions policies have been around for a while, they have gained a lot of national attention over the last several years, as more and more schools began to adopt these policies during the pandemic. Considering the constant changes in college admissions processes, it can be hard to stay on top of the current landscape. There are a lot of good intentions behind test optional policies as they are meant to increase equity, but the truth is that the vast majority of students should take the SAT or ACT and submit a score to get into the best colleges. It’s really that simple.

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With the frequency of test cancellations early in the pandemic, colleges simply could not require applicants to submit a score, but that has changed as students are now able to take the tests as planned. Currently, many colleges have reverted back to test required policies and the majority of schools view test scores as an important factor in admissions decisions. Read on to understand why submitting test scores can be to your advantage.

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What does test optional mean?

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The definition of test optional varies from school to school. Those schools for which standardized test scores are optional will treat SAT and/or ACT scores as a supplement in the application. This means your student can decide whether or not to submit those test scores for consideration; however, a strong test score can be a crucial factor in admissions decisions, particularly at selective schools.

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Test optional isn't the same as "test blind."

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Test blind schools - those that do not accept or consider test scores at all in admissions decisions - are few and far between, and very few students only apply to test blind schools.

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Data across the college admissions spectrum show very clearly that having a strong test score, even at a test optional school, will dramatically increase your student's chances of admission, as well as their chances of receiving a sizable amount of merit aid or scholarship money.

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For example, after rolling out test optional policies, schools including Notre Dame, Emory, Colgate, UPenn, Georgetown, and Georgia Tech all accepted applicants with test scores at roughly twice the rate of applicants without scores.

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Test optional really means "test preferred."

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The resounding message from admissions officers across the country is that in many ways they need SAT and ACT scores more than ever. With the average GPA of a high school graduate increasing steadily over the last 10 years, a 4.0 GPA no longer carries as much weight in the admissions process. In addition, with clubs, activities, and sports all disrupted over the past few years, as well as reduced opportunities for in-person campus visits and interviews, many of the key “pillars” that admissions officers typically rely on to make decisions are more difficult to count on.

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College admissions are more competitive than at any time in history.

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The total number of college applications has increased by 29% over the past 5 years, according to data from the Common App. This trend has driven down acceptance rates, as schools are not significantly increasing the number of students they'll accept. Brown, Harvard, Dartmouth, Tufts, Columbia, and many other colleges and universities reported some of the lowest acceptance rates ever. Without an SAT/ACT score, the rest of your student’s application needs to be outstanding in order to compete in a dramatically larger pool of potential students.

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SAT or ACT scores are still required in many situations, even at "test optional" colleges.

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There are still a wide variety of situations in which test scores are required, such as merit scholarship/financial aid qualification. At some colleges, SAT or ACT scores are required for specific majors or programs, as well as for placement into higher-level freshman year classes. Not having a strong test score will limit your student's options.

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Parents who are "in the know" have a tremendous advantage in the world of test optional admissions.

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We've been in the business of helping students get into their dream schools for over 20 years, and we've seen many trends in testing come and go. These are uncharted waters for many students, as well as for college admissions officers. However, SAT and ACT test scores are well-known, proven indicators of which students are most likely to be successful at a particular college. We see it as our responsibility to help families understand how test optional policies play out in the real world of college admissions. Our goal is to help every one of our students to be well-positioned to gain admission to their top choice, as well as to be in the running for merit scholarships that can make that dream school affordable. Test scores continue to be a very important component of that picture, and test prep is a reliable, well-established way to help your child present their best possible admissions portfolio. Call us at 1-87STUDYPOINT to talk about your student's specific situation and how we can help.