Oh, they’ll have information well before that.
First-year performance in college is an incredibly good predictor of later-year performance. So the information on the test-optional college Co2025 will be in by the time the numbers are properly crunched sometime around this June. In fact, I would wager that most (non-open-access) colleges’ institutional research offices are already releasing first-semester numbers internally as we type.
But what are they assessing that quickly? I would guess academic probation, transfer requests (maybe), drop-outs - guesses. Not sure they will see patterns so soon, which might mean the path toward test optional/test blind continues. Plus, our COVID situation might make it difficult to analyze and draw conclusions from 5 months of school.
Isn’t that a year too soon? Class of 2025 is the first test optional class at most top colleges, and won’t start until fall 2021.
(To be clear, current freshmen are Class of 2024, which was not test optional for most top colleges.)
good point. maybe yield, i guess.
Lol, I’d be more interested in: “Knowing that many colleges might remain TO, what are you doing to ensure your own app package is optimal?” Might get folks to think about what optimal means to their targets.
Might bring up ideas and discussion. Rather than call for idle speculation, some collection of responses that are wild guesses, when most colleges haven’t released their plans.
Imo, so what if xx folks think it might go one way or the other? In the end, they still need a fully successful app package.
Grades, GPA, what types of courses chosen, and what grades are earned in what types of courses could be tracked. Also, at colleges where students are enrolled in majors from the beginning, change of major patterns can be tracked. At colleges where students are initially undeclared, types of courses chosen could indicate what types of majors are likely in what proportions.
You should start that topic and I will respond. I think it is a good question, too.
The ability to anticipate is both learned AND a talent. I appreciate hearing what people think so I can consider it alongside my own thoughts - even though it many cases it may not change them.
but @evergreen5 pointed out, it will be a year too early. Maybe they will decide based upon the workload in the admissions office and whether it increased applications and yield. Or by whether they liked how it changed the profile of their applicant. Or maybe whether they were able to admit a more interesting and diverse student. They will have that info. by then.
Or they could decide based on test availability which could be based on factors not yet completely known (e.g. vaccine availability and whether test hosting sites are ready to go back to “normal”).
To me, as someone who thinks standardized test is necessary, the writing is on the wall. Regardless how helpful test scores may be (or may be not) for some colleges, the horse has already left the barn. There will likely to be more remedial courses and/or sections of courses in colleges to help those students who may not have been as well prepared, so the impact won’t be immediately obvious. Pendulum always swings too far one direction or another. At some point, we’ll revisit the issue again.
"…consider it alongside my own thoughts - "
But you’ve been hinting you do know more than the ‘average bear.’
Why would a smart approach to reevaluating your observations be to survey people who have no idea? How is it a talent to toss a coin?
Are you telling me wild guesses would somehow educate you? Beyond the experience you may have? Guesses? That makes little sense to me. So it can leave the impression you’re just “funnin” with this, with us.
We all have different experiences. I would imagine I know more than some people about some topics and a lot less than some people about others. Nobody is current on everything. Admissions is a big world. I learn something on most every thread. I think people know more than 50/50, or at least they think they do - or they would not comment.
Perspectives, on this question, in particular, might be telling - especially because I think some colleges actually care what we all think on the matter. It is pretty complicated IMO. At a minimum, maybe my middle schooler will benefit from my time on here. Yes, I have passion for the college process but that should not show as a ha ha, I know more than you.
Yup, a big world. I’m gratified you admit we can’t know everything because all any one of us can “know” is our portion we experienced. We can’t declare universals (as some AMA “experts” have tried.)
Regarding the original question, it depends on the college and several external factors. A few colleges have already said that they plan to remain test optional/blind in the class of 2026. For example, Caltech has said that they plan to remain test blind for the class of 2026. However, most colleges have not yet made a declaration.
One key factor is test availability. It’s likely that the COVID vaccine distribution will continue throughout the bulk of 2021, with a some portion of the US population still having COVID-19. If this results in SAT/ACT being awkward to schedule in some areas, then a large portion of colleges will remain test optional/blind.
If ACT/SAT testing is readily available, then the ~1000 schools that were test optional/blind before COVID will almost entirely remain test optional. Some pre-COVID test required schools will choose to remain test optional, after having put the test optional admission process place and seeing that it can work. If USNWR continues to rank test blind colleges in future additions without major penalty, then test blind may be more common as well.
With the pandemic continuing, college will continue to go test optional. I would be surprised if they make testing required for the class of 2026.
Colleges now have the ability to select the class as they wish and cannot be judged harshly by USNWR if the stats of their incoming freshmen drop. Why would they ever want to go back to having standardized tests unless USNWR penalizes them. With HS GPA’s getting increasingly inflated it is great for the AOs. So I do not think they will use the SAT/ACT…too bad CC does not have a poll function…
That why you look at the rigor the courses offered and taken. Did the student take the most rigorous curriculum offered. You can also look at where the student is ranked compared to others at the same school.
You can hide poor AP tests by not reporting them. You can take both the SAT and ACT and only report what you want. They should require you to report every single test taken and under what conditions (double time). The problem with the ACT and SAT is that it is routinely compromised. Cheating is occurring here and is rampant overseas. When an international student tells me that they got a really high score on the SAT, I just nod my head and smile.
True fact: Colleges sometimes make choices about admissions requirements completely independent from the way it will make them look in the USNWR rankings, no matter what multiple people on this thread seem to think.
I mean, I’ll be first in line to agree that selective college admissions processes are as a rule self-servingly cynical, and that the USNWR rankings are worse, but such a view goes a bit far for even me.
The Gatekeepers book, while a little dated (2000 release I think) did show how at least Wesleyan reviewed applicants, and while individually, decisions were not made with rankings in mind, the aggregate of the class definitely was, they always looked at how the class would look wrt scores and impact on ranking and the diversity of the class (which was a Wesleyan-specific goal).
As for the OP, I think public universities, since many of them are auto-admit will end up back to test required, especially since that’s one of the easiest way to make the first cut among the large volume of applicants they get. They may not do it though until the tests are available as they were pre-covid, which may not happen till class of 2027. Selective privates will probably stay test-optional.
One thing that occurred to me: I thoroughly expect more and more schools to go test-optional, but scholarships are, I expect, still going to largely require SAT/ACT scores.
So for those of us out there chasing Big Merit™, test-optional is probably going to stay test-required for a good long while.