<p>I know that the public, party line at most SAT-optional institutions is that not submitting standardized test scores is not held against an applicant. But it seems to me that there's data out there, particularly from the extensive studies of the SAT-optional policy at Bates and Mount Holyoke, to suggest that adcoms at selective, SAT-optional institutions expect evidence of exceptional, not just run-of-the-mill admissible academic achievement from non-submitters. (Not to put too fine a point on it, they impute lower standardized test scores to non-submitters and expect compensation elsewhere in the application.) </p>
<p>In their less guarded moments, admissions officers will admit to assuming lower scores from non-submitters. This statement from the Dean of Admissions at Union, which recently went SAT-optional doesn't require much reading between the lines:</p>
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[quote]
Lundquist said admissions officers expect that students who do not submit SAT results scored on the lower end of Union?s range. However, he said, Union will not assume that the scores were deplorable, and in most cases, a strong application will outweigh the omission.
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Do CCers have evidence either way?</p>