One of the things that really bothers me for us highschoolers is standardized testing. Some people are not test takers, period. Like me… I’m a 4.0 GPA student, taking advanced and now all AP classes, on my way to graduating with honors and ranked 6 in my class. However, I am TERRIBLE at taking tests. I took the ACT for the first time last April ( I’m a rising Junior, so I’ve got time) and got a 24. Not joking…
Although I plan on taking the ACT again a couple times, as well as the SAT, and this time with more preparation to get a higher score, I’m sure there are others struggling like I am finding a really reputable college that will maybe overlook scores to some degree… So any answers would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Great, thanks…
Doesn’t have to be a school that doesn’t require scores ( although those are great too!) but maybe ones that don’t focus on them, like you have to send them in but they take into account more of GPA/rank/extracurriculars/ personality
All of these schools are test optional. The ones I’m familiar with really seem to be test optional, and are not just trying to increase the number of applicants and not really taking students who don’t submit scores. Wake Forest, for example, believes that a student’s high school record is a much better predictor of student success in college than test scores. A relatively large minority of the incoming class was accepted without scores. Good luck!
Wake Forest, Holy Cross, Bates, Bowdoin, Smith, Wesleyan, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) (great for science/engineering), Franklin and Marshall, Skidmore, GWU, Lawrence and St. Lawrence, etc.
As an aside, WFU really likes to get to know applicants and want to be confident applicants know the school. Visiting, if possible, and interviewing (Skype available) are especially important. That is probably a little more generally true if you are not submitting scores. So try to have as much contact as possible with schools you might be interested in attending.
You can check the Common Data Set of a school to see how much weight they put on different factors. You can then see which schools put less weight on standardized test scores, regardless of whether they’re test optional.
If you do happen to perform well on topic-specific tests, primarily APs and SAT subject tests, then your available college options could include test flexible schools.
University of Wisconsin-Madison has a guaranteed transfer program for students who make high grades for the first two years at one of the other locations in the University of Wisconsin system (there are 26 locations). Then you would spend your last two years in Madison and get your degree from the highly ranked University of Wisconsin-Madison. Admission to the other locations does not require a high SAT/ACT score, and transferring to UW-Madison does not require the SAT/ACT score at all – they will only look at your grades. I am aware of this program, because it was the strategy used by a Chinese person I know who was an excellent student making all As, but just could not do well on the SAT/ACT. It is not for everyone, since it is disruptive to change locations after two years, but it is something to check out if it interests you.
I was in your boat several years ago. My ACT was a 24 the first time I took it, despite only having a single B on my report card in high school. The good news is that with only a book I bought from barnes and noble, I worked my way up to a 30. So keep on grinding and you’ll be fine!
As far as school recommendations, I’d take a look at my school, George Washington University. It’s test optional, and even if you choose to submit your SAT/ACT, I can say with firsthand knowledge straight from the admissions office that it’s not that big of a factor in the decision making process. GWU is a killer school for anything political oriented (due to it’s location 3 blocks from the white house), but also has great programs in pre-med, language, business, and computer science. If that’s up your alley, it’s worth taking a look at. If you want to talk GWU, feel free to ask me.
Outside of GWU, I don’t have knowledge of the values of particular admissions offices. Obviously you should look up other test optional schools, but I’d also take a look at some regional universities. They tend to have lower admissions standards, while still delivering a high quality quality and personalized education that sets you up for outstanding careers.
Based on published numbers and anecdotal reports, it strikes me that some of the “public Ivies” emphasize grades (or maybe class rank) more than scores. Some of them report average GPAs close to 4.0 despite average SAT M+CR scores that are about 50 - 200 points lower than what you’d see among the Ivies and some other selective private schools.
The list of test optional/flexible schools does include some rather selective private colleges, such as:
Bates
Bowdoin
Brandeis
Bryn Mawr (women only)
Colby
College of the Holy Cross
Colorado College
George Washington U
Hamilton
Middlebury
Mount Holyoke (women only)
Pitzer
Smith (women only)
However, it may be the case that if you don’t submit scores, you’d need some other exceptional qualifications (or a hook) to compensate. Note that most of the schools above are small liberal arts colleges, not universities.
@tk21769, yes acceptance rates for Test Flexible or Test Optional applicants is much lower and it’s usually due to an extenuating factor - just deciding not to submit won’t likely cut it at highly selectively schools.
Many years ago our college admissions office ran a long term experiment which admitted a limited number of students based on a highly qualitative interview process. These 15 students did no fit the standard HS RIC, SAT profile by a significant difference. Individual student interviews lasted 45 minutes for all students who interviewed. We were looking for students who seemed to have a very large dose of that something extra that was not reflected in the standard applicant profile. Each admissions interviewer would keep a list of outstanding cases. These applicants still needed to meet the classroom prerequisites from secondary school and the test group’s size was very limited.
We kept track of these special cases to compare the group’s average freshman GPA with the entire class GPA. Consistently, this special group out performed their class’s average. We did this for about eight years with consistent results.
For all entering students we also knew that the predictive relationship between secondary HS RIC / standardized test scores college GPA were limited and the strength of the relationship faded over time. The relationship was strongest in year one at 35%, but dropped to about 20% in year two and was not significant by year three. In other words, the standardized numbers we all judge ourselves by in HS do not tell the whole story by a long shot. What is missing?
I call it motivation or “grit.” I was always looking for what seemed to be genuine curiosity about the world around us.
The best college/university for you is the one that feeds your own curiosity. This is why the college selections must go beyond an impression on your friends.
It is a personal fit and your backup selection is just as important as your first choice. :bz