Thank you so much! We are considered adding schools such as University of Richmond, Davidson, Lafayette or Lehigh. However, we need merit aid, and from everything I read, it is much easier to be awarded aid from match schools and not reach schools.
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Read carefully what the schoolâs testing policy is.
Some schools are test blind meaning that the school is not interested at all in studentsâ standardized test scores at all. If you submit your score, it wonât be considered, even if you scored 1600 on the SAT or 36 on the ACT. There are very few colleges with test-blind policies.
Test optional allows applicants to choose whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their application. That said, these colleges will still consider a test score, if submitted.
As others have stated schools have adopted a test blind/test optional policy this for Fall 2021, Spring 2022, have not yet committed to Fall 2022.
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Thank you for this distinction. I did notice that some test optional schools even waived the test requirement for some scholarships. I guess we will need to wait and see at this point what 2022 admissions will look like.
Another match/reach LAC school to consider that awards merit aid is Grinnell (thanks to their huge Warren Buffet aided endowment)
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Thank you for this, but she wants to stay with East Coast schools within a 5 or so hour drive from MD.
Hi, I went through this process last year with my son, who is now a college freshman.
Lehigh gives very small merit awards (or at least, that is their past practice). It is also extremely expensive to attend.
Some of the earlier schools you mentioned may have special scholarships your daughter can apply for, so it may be worth taking another look at the scholarship pages of each school to determine if you are automatically considered for all of them or if you have to apply separately. For example, I think St. Joeâs has a âWomen in STEMâ scholarship or special program. My son is there now, succeeding and happy with the school and his friend group, despite a tiny bit of lingering remorse that we turned down Lehigh due to cost.
Good luck to your daughter!
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Just a quick update for those that commented. The SATs got cancelled once again for March and my daughter has decided she is not going to take a test. With more and more colleges announcing test optional, she is hoping her GPA and overall application can shine. We did add a few reaches to her list - Davidson and University of Richmond.
Anyone else have a 2022 kid planning to apply test optional?
We havenât decided. Right now my son is schedule to take the SAT in late March. It is a special sitting - it will be given at his HS on a school day and is open only to juniors who attend the school. I am pretty confident it will happen. This is the only sitting they are offering this year because of Covid. They arenât offering the ACT at all. He has done minimal prep so far as he has a pretty heavy course load. I think he will do OK, but not great on the test. He has typically done very well on the reading/language but struggles on the math sections (least favorite subject). If he doesnât do well the real debate will begin - should he spend the summer heavily prepping for an early Fall test or just go TO. Iâll add -he is a good student with a good GPA and rigorous course load.
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Hi there!
Very likely, yes. D â22 prepped for Dec test and it was cancelled 3 days beforehand. She is begrudgingly sitting through the test prep again and doing some 1:1 sessions as well before the March test. Just took a practice test and if thatâs how she scores, we wonât be submitting them. 
Updated transcript has her at top 8-9% of her class and an UW 3.979 and her PSAT and practice scores are in the 1100s. So needless to say sheâs looking more closely at test optional schools!
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