At University of Chicago and Bowdoin College in particular. If you have good or great grades, but mediocre test scores that are below the school’s middle 50%, would it be better not to send them to these schools? Would you be missing out on scholarships and grants?
If your scores are below the 50% mark, no, don’t send them. But the rest of your application will have to be that much stronger are more compelling.
Do not send them, especially if your record stands on its own without the test scores. Test optional truly is test optional. However it means they must have every confidence you’re qualified AND see clearly what you’d being to campus from everything else you have in your application.
Advice we heard from test optional schools was: if the scores are not consistent with the rest of your portfolio, and do not reflect your capabilities, do not send.
I would not send scores that are below the middle 50% range.