How do you stand out with a test-optional school ?

Applying to College
1

Hello,
I am a highschool junior and have been on high honor roll all throughout high school I have taken all honors, AP, and advanced classes so far.

AP : Euro, Biology,(10th grade), US History, Latin, Literature and Composition,Statistics(11th grade) next year I want to take Language, Chemistry, US Gov,and maybe Envirmental Science.

  • Exam Scores
    *Bio -3
    *Euro-4

Extracirriculars/Volunteer Work
9th grade student council for 3.5 months
Mentored a girls group for 4 months 2 hrs a weeks in 10th grade
Helped Organize/Particapted in a community Fashion show in 10th grade
Debate Club from January till the rest of this year 11th grade
Basketball Club April till the end of the year 11th grade
I created a mentoring and tutoring system at my high school to help get students motivated about school and help them pass their classes by working with teachers -this is still a work in progress and I will get the results by the end of the year how effective the program is.
I also did several service projects through our school field trips
I help care for my Grandmother and my baby sister

Honors :
9th grade student of the year for Lit and Compostion
10th grade students of the year for AP Bio
I particapted in the AMC to represent my school
National Honor Society
I am going to be competing in a state math competion to represent my school.
Student Accalades from teachers about my personality traits that I recieved every year ex: Enthusiasum, Honesty and Dependebility

GPA: 3.97- my school doesn’t do a weighted GPA
Classrank: 3/96
Current ACT score w/ writing 22 w/out writing 23

  • I know that I have really low scores but I have taken it 3 times and I still keep getting a low score and I studied like crazy but I still don’t know what to do. Help ! I am taking it again this Saturday and am hoping to get a better score.
  • I am also going to try the SAT this May to see if I can do any better on that one -Help!

My Backgroud
-low income family-oldest child-first generation to attend college-daughter of Somali immigrants- skipped the 5th grade if that counts for anything- can speak fluently in Somali and English but I know Latin and Arabic pretty well

What else do I need to do to stand out to go to schools like Pitzer, Bates, Bodwin, and Middlebury or should I just apply to a regular school ? Thank you !!! :))))

2

Try the SAT, you might do better on that. I’m Somali as well, so I have faith in you!

If you want to attend a school like Middlebury, your tests scores are way off the radar and you need to have a 30+ ACT to be competitive. Don’t think that by being Somali you can automatically get in wherever you want. Trust me, if I did that, I wouldn’t be the best student that I know I can be. Your GPA is fine and they look at the context of the school so don’tcha worry about that. Knowing many languages is a strong suit too, as well as being low-income (i think that’s a hook?).

Best of luck, and somalia haa noolato!

3

You seem like a good candidate for a test optional school. You want strong grades and ECs, which is seems you have. Also strong writing skills is always helpful. I’d consider Wake Forest if you haven’t already.

4

Bates, Bowdoin, Wesleyan, Wake Forest, Muhlenberg, Gettysburg, St. Lawrence, Holy Cross and many others are test optional.

Good Luck!!

5

To be clear–Middlebury isn’t test optional–it’s test flexible. In other words, you’ll need to submit standardized test scores. Either the SAT I, three SAT IIs, or the ACT.

6

Do you have any SAT 2 Subject tests that are worth submitting? If you do, strong scores in those can help you stand out at a ACT/SAT test optional school.