So, our junior, who is an A- student in the most rigorous curriculum available, Varsity athlete, captain, musician – busy fellow – is a terrible standardized test taker. Does well in practice tests, bombs in the actual test.
His list is heavy with test optional schools, and his hope is that he will be a recruited athlete at one of them, applying ED. But if not, he would have a couple of test optional Early Action schools, so I am hopeful he will have a couple of acceptances by late December, and would then apply regular to schools and coordinate with coaches about walk-on opportunities. My husband, who does not spend his free time on CC, is skeptical about whether ordinary applicants really get in without submitting test scores. I have poured over Common Data sets, figuring out the percentage, at least, of enrolled students who submitted scores (you can figure that out by comparing number of enrolled students submitting scores vs. total number of enrolled students), but that doesn’t help figure out what acceptance, rather than enrollment, data might look like.
Anyone with experience or advice about acceptance, without submitting test scores, for good students, with well-rounded portfolio, to test optional schools like Denison, Dickinson, Bates (super reach), Lawrence, Kalamazoo, Knox (safeties/likelies, with demonstrated interest)? We know that many of these schools require scores for merit aid, which stinks, because that was part of the plan, but we will just have to see how things evolve.
Brandeis might be a good place to consider. The merit aid that they do give is not dependent on SATs.
Also – based on what you say above, I don’t see how Bates is a “super-reach.” I think you should aim a bit higher.
Consider Brandeis (above) and Wesleyan which are also test-optional.
No, this was objectively poor, below the score for the bottom 25% of the admitted students. This is not a case of getting a 30 instead of a 34. This is someone who truly crashes in timed testing.
Has he taken both SAT and ACT? How about subject tests? If there is any way he can secure some good subject test scores they will help back up a good GPA if he goes test optional and doesn’t submit SAT or ACT.
@soze This year’s Bates overall admit rate dropped to 21% and in regular decision it dropped to 17% with 81% in the top 10% of the high school class. Of the kids that submitted scores, the average was a 32 ACT. So an A- student that is not recruited for sports is gonna have a hard time. ED is dominated by athletic recruits in NESCAC.
@Midwestmomofboys My experience with two boys is that Test Optional schools are true to that. I am most familiar with eastern schools but the ones you mentioned plus Gettysburg, Holy Cross, St. Lawrence (a real gem), Connecticut College, Franklin & Marshall, Muhlenberg, Loyola Maryland and Union are good options.
@lr4550 – thanks, we have thought about that! He is going to take at least 1 subject matter test. PSAT scores suggested SAT was not a strong suit, so he has done ACT prep. My older son did ACT as well, so we know that test better, and understand the benefits of predictability of structure etc. He will continue to prep, but the first time was a shock, especially since his practice scores were all above 30s.
and @2019parent – We visited Conn and St Lawrence (as well as Bates, Denison and Dickinson). Conn just didn’t click with him, though I had high hopes. St L didn’t either, but we want to give that one another shot – I think we were all just too tired to give it a fair shot.
I keep circling back around Union, F&M, Gettysburg and Muhlenberg – we are in the midwest (hence the name), so I have been reluctant to add more mid-PA schools to the list, when he already loves Dickinson. But, we will know better this summer, after camps, whether he is a recruit or not. If not, he will need to consider expanding his list of regular apps, and we will take a look.
D applied to Denison this year and chose not to submit test scores. She was admitted with a good amount of merit. However, they gave her the lowest total aid (merit and need) of any school so it was not a contender.
D, pretty similar to your S, applied to 8 LACs. Submitted scores to some of the test-optional schools, but not all. Admitted to all with merit awards.
Union told all parents at an open house, do not submit scores if below the average we’ve accepted. D was close, but decided not to submit. She was accepted to Union with merit aid.
She did submit her scores to Denison. They weren’t stellar in comparison to their applicant pool, but she got a great merit award based on the strength of the rest of her application.
So I’m not sure it matters that much in the end. I’d run it by the admissions rep wherever you are not sure. In our experience they were quite willing to be straightforward as to the pros and cons, but generally did not make a recommendation for a specific case.
At an alumni admissions event we were told by a Bates admissions officer that not submitting scores will not hurt an applicant to Bates but that submitting poor scores will. Neither of my kids submitted scores but they’re also both legacies. I know there are some other parents of non-submitting Bates students who weren’t legacies around CC.
Son was such a poor test taker that he never even took the SAT. We know he’d never get his scores to the range acceptable for the kinds of schools for which he was otherwise qualified. He had a strong academic record and extremely strong EC’s.
Another school you may want to check out is Hobart. Both of my kids looked at it as a good likely/low match. When DS told the admissions officer with whom he interviewed that his grades were good but his test scores abysmal he was told “You’re just the kind of kid we love.”
Thank you all – that’s what I keep telling my husband, but as I said, he doesn’t inhabit CC the way I do, so he is skeptical. My kid is a good kid, solid but not amazing grades, well-rounded, very strong athlete and musician.
I like to think at least some LACs ranked 35 and below would be happy to have him, as he would be a positive influence on campus. But, as our older kid’s scores were fine, but not stellar, we never looked at test optional.
In the meantime, my husband is wondering aloud whether we are talking community college because of the scores. And I keep saying this kid will be admitted to Lawrence and Kzoo by late December and not to worry (son has visited, emailed with reps, talked to profs and coaches etc, not just going to submit an app out of the blue).
Your husband is overreacting. Your son will have a good choice of schools. Has he submitted all the recruiting questionnaires that are on the school websites?
@2019Parent Thank you! Yes, he is well into the recruiting process, met all the coaches on campus, submitted forms, scheduled for camps. He knows one school wants him, but it is not as competitive a program, so we don’t know how that compares to recruiting at stronger programs.
My daughter applied to Pitzer, Beloit, Bard, Knox, SUNY Alfred and Hampshire, all test optional schools. She was admitted to them all, some with merit money, without her scores being sent. While her scores were not so bad, she has a strong opposition to their validity so she would not submit them.
How does he do on regular class tests? That is something he might have to deal with once admitted. I know that Knox, where my daughter is now finishing up her Junior year, allows students to take tests anywhere on campus except the bathroom, which helps my daughter a lot with her test taking.
Many parents think that “test optional” is true in theory but not reality. That has not been our experience, we have found that when a school says it is test optional, it truly is. And, like my daughter, much of their school is based on that philosophy.
@amtc Thank you! Yes, he does fine on in-school exams, so whether it is the fatigue factor or the high stakes stress, or just lack of practice, I’m not sure, but his actual scores were a big surprise after solid practice scores. He will take in June again, but the spring is so busy, not sure how consistent he can be in his prep. He has a fairly manageable summer, so could do regular prep over the summer and take September exam to see if comes up significantly. If not, he won’t submit scores, and will go test optional.
And Knox is on his list to visit, we want to get out there this summer, though we know it will be quiet. At least he could take a look and get a feel for the place.
I am encouraged by the stories of test optional success stories, thank you.