The past couple months have seen sudden changes in the college admissions and admission testing (SAT + ACT) landscape that have left many parents, administrators, students, and college admissions professionals dizzy, confused, or both. Test dates have been in flux (I’ve been sending out some of the updates as they emerge in my newsletter—you can sign up in the lower right-hand corner of your screen if you’d like to receive them!), with many cancelled, and some colleges have responded with “test-optional” admissions policies.
Now, “test-optional” SOUNDS great, right? Sure! In my last couple of posts, though, I’ve been explaining that these policies may not mean that you can (or should) chuck the test prep books. First, because “test-optional” doesn’t mean “test-blind,” these policies affect admissions differently than you might think they do (bottom line: they often make it HARDER, not easier, to get in). Second, because skipping the scores as part of your application package means that your applications are read differently than they would be WITH test scores: for reasons that have to do with schools’ admissions data. To admit you without test scores, that dream school would hypothetically need to be willing to take a hit on their averages to get you on their campus, and so for “test-optional” policies to work in your favor, your scores basically need to be the ONLY weakness in your application.
…if you’re saying “this seems a lot more complicated than just being off the testing hook,” well, you’d be right.
So with all these complexities in play, how do you decide what makes sense for YOU?
First of all, you could stop reading right here and just book a consultation. But if that’s not in the cards, I’m going to walk you through how to make this decision yourself. Ready? Okay, let’s get down to answering that million-dollar question:
Does this year’s “test-optional” trend mean that you can just skip the SAT or ACT entirely?
First, you need to check out the test-related admissions policies of each of the schools on your list.
So far, there are roughly 5 camps of colleges:
Institutions that have NOT changed their admissions policies. If they previously required the SAT or ACT, they still do; if they previously were test optional, they still are.
Institutions that are going test optional for the class of 2021 only. (There currently are around 50 of these, but that number changes often.)
Institutions that are doing 2- or 3-year pilot programs, meaning that they’ll try out being test optional for 2 or 3 years, and then determine if they want to continue or not. Many of these are liberal arts colleges and the University of California system. At the moment, there are roughly 27 of these, though that number changes often.
Institutions that used to require SAT II Subject Tests in addition to the regular SAT or ACT, but now have dropped the Subject Test requirement. They still require the regular SAT or ACT, however. (Think: MIT, Harvey Mudd, Cal Tech.) And,
A few institutions that are going “test blind” for the class of 2021, though they mostly have minimum GPA requirements. Namely the “Cal States” (California State University system colleges).
You need to know which camps your schools fall into, obviously. You can get the to-the-day updated list of colleges by visiting fairtest.org.
There’s one way that just this research can answer the question right away: if ALL the schools on your list are test BLIND, and you ALSO surpass their GPA requirements, you are officially off the standardized testing hook. Practically, the most likely scenario in which this would be the case for you is if you live in California and are only looking at state schools.
Otherwise, you’re going to need to think about your own individual application and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses like I discussed in my last post.
Taking into account your circumstances and your application, there are two primary scenarios in which skipping testing makes sense:
ALL your schools are Test Optional AND you legitimately did not have the ability to take the SAT or ACT. Examples: where you live, there were only a couple test sittings, they both were canceled, and you couldn’t travel four hours to take it at the next available testing center. Another example: you’re a twin, and you couldn’t register at the same testing center (by the time Twin #1 registered, all the spots had filled up at that test center!), so one of you is taking the test in Staten Island and the other is taking it in the Bronx—yet you only have one parent with a car who can’t possibly deliver you both to different boroughs at the same time.
ALL of your schools are Test Optional, you COULD have taken the tests…but standardized tests are literally the ONE thing dragging you down. Maybe you have test anxiety that hasn’t affected your GPA. Maybe circumstances around testing are extra-difficult where you live. Whatever the reason, this category includes you if your test scores aren’t stellar but EVERYTHING else a college considers is AMAZING and VERY competitive.
As far as I’m concerned, if you fall into one of these two categories, you’re clear to chuck that test-prep book and devote your time to other parts of your application.
If, on the other hand, you fall into one of THESE two categories, you need to buck up and prep for the SAT and/or ACT:
Not all of your schools are Test Optional. (Duh. But because of what I explained about what test-optional REALLY means, if you have test scores, it’s actually a really good idea to send them even to test-optional schools.)
ALL your schools ARE Test Optional, but your other admissions factors DON’T stand out. Your grades are “fine,” your academic rigor’s “okay” but not the best. You don’t have any huge accomplishments or extracurricular that sends a clear message about who you are and what you’re passionate about. In short, you could use a “boost.”
So…what category are YOU in? Can you skip the SAT or ACT?
If, after reading this, you realize that you DO, in fact, need to leverage an SAT or ACT test score to HELP you get accepted to your dream school, then you don’t really have time to waste! You need to start prepping STAT, and I am here to help. Please contact me to get you on track.
