I’m noticing on college board that a lot of the schools that my daughter is interested in such as don’t require the ACT or SAT. Should I assume they don’t place a lot of importance on the tests or do you think most schools still do? Some of the school examples are LMU, Tulane, Hampshire. Thank you.
From what I heard from admissions officers, if a student does submit standardized tests to a test optional school then they are absolutely taken into account as part of the application process. If you don’t want colleges to consider the standardized tests (ex. they are below the school averages) then best not to submit at all.
Here is a list of test optional schools sorted by state. http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional/state
Test optional schools are not test optional because they don’t believe in the importance of test scores. Rather, they found that they could increase the number of full pay students if they lowered their standards in terms of test scores. In other words they were turning down full pay students whose scores were low. Loads of money walking away. They did not want to lower their test standards because then their published ranges (the 24%-75% scores) would be lower and then their ranking on US News ranking would tank.
So instead of lowering their standards, they decide to go test optional. That way those with low scores won’t send them. If they are full pay, they can be admitted without lowering the published score ranges so it doesn’t impact on rankings. Ironically, the published ranged go up when schools initially move to “score optional” because they lose scores form those on the lower half of the accepted distribution. Keep in mind the idea is to attract full pay students!.
Standardized testing is going the way of the dinosaurs. Within ten years most schools will be test optional.
@lostaccount I would like to see you back that up because tests scores correlate to income very closely. Higher income equals higher test scores, so on that basis alone your theory doesn’t hold water. It’s a good cynical theory though, if you like that kind of stuff.
Going test optional also doesn’t generate many additional applications either, there are better ways to do that.
Contrary to comments above, the motivation for being test optional varies by school. For example, the California State Universities admit California resident frosh applicants with 3.0 HS GPA if they apply to non-impacted majors and non-impacted campuses (although most campuses are impacted today, and some majors like nursing are impacted everywhere). For these applicants, the application is test optional.
People have been saying that for 30 years.
Yep and what has happened? 850 schools are now test optional or test flexible. One IVY will break the ice in the next 5 years, just watch.
Test optioal also attracts more applicants, hence lower admission rate. To me, it is more of a game these schools are playing.
Hampshire is not just test optional, it is a test blind school. Admissions won’t even look at scores if they are submitted. https://www.hampshire.edu/admissions/faq-about-hampshires-test-blind-admission-policy
Ooh boy IVY with a capital I, V, and Y has been used, this discussion is getting serious.
@hzhang50 Actually they don’t.
Required writing supplements and the application fee are the most powerful ways to mess with the acceptance rate and number of applications, in both directions.