<p>I heard, from a high school student I know, about another high school student who has thus far taken an "unschooling" approach to learning and who has had some interesting personal accomplishments to date. I'm told that the other student, whom I have not met, is planning to apply to several highly prestigious colleges in more than one country without taking ANY standardized admission tests. That student's view is that other documented achievements of that student should be able to make a case for admission at a great college, and if some college insists on standardized test scores, another will not. </p>
<p>I see that some colleges are explicit about not waiving standardized testing requirements for any applicant. </p>
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<p>On the other hand, there are many colleges (but MOSTLY open-admission colleges) that don't require standardized tests of all, or any, of their applicants. </p>
<p>(When you look at the list on the linked page, you'll see MANY colleges listed there that we never talk about on CC. You may miss, amid that crowded list, some of the more outstanding colleges that don't always require test scores for admission.) </p>
<p>Have you heard of a student who has gained admission to that student's favorite college without jumping through the hoop of standardized testing? Would you try it yourself?</p>
<p>“Have you heard of a student who has gained admission to that student’s favorite college without jumping through the hoop of standardized testing?”</p>
<p>Only to colleges which do not require an SAT or ACT test. Note that the concept that you can possibly get into a college that requires a test score without one by having other outstanding characteristics represents a misunderstanding of the application process. Generally, no one other than a clerk usually reviews your file until it is deemed “complete.” If the school requires test scores and receives none, it will not deem your file complete and you will be rejected for failing to provide all required materials. Thus, all those believed outstanding other characteristics will never be seen by anyone who actually makes an admission decision.</p>
<p>I’ve known some homeschoolers who never took standardized tests. That certainly limited their college choices. I insist that my homeschooled kids take the tests.</p>
<p>Why not just take them?
The student could be offered scholarships based on high test scores. If the student has no grades/curriculum, then test scores are the only objective way the school has to compare this applicant to other applicants. Unless the applicant is rich/famous/has dozens of patents/Olympic medal/Nobel Prize or some other hook that will make any college want him/her, I think it is unwise
not to take the tests. </p>
<p>Small, less selective colleges may be more likely to make an exception, but big schools that require test scores–I doubt it. The “highly prestigious” schools that interest this student have plenty of other qualified applicants to choose from. I’m not sure that an applicant who can’t/won’t “follow the rules” or expects exceptions to be made for him/her is going to be very attractive to a college. “I really want to go to your college, and I refuse to take the test you require for admission…but I’m so great I’m sure you’ll let me in anyway.” It just doesn’t seem like a good strategy to me.</p>
<p>Drusba is right–no one will look at the file until it is complete.</p>
<p>Oh, I’m sympathetic with the idea of pluralism–not everyone having the same primary and secondary education–but I don’t know if this will be an expedient choice come application time or not. There are certainly colleges that will entirely disregard a lack of standardized test scores, but I would like my children to have a choice between those colleges and the colleges that DO regard test scores.</p>
<p>If he’s applying to schools that require the ACT or SAT and he doesn’t send scores, they won’t review his app, plain and simple. Until it’s complete it doesn’t get reviewed. He can try to make a statement all he wants, but their statement will be far stronger: not getting in!</p>
<p>Top colleges are not exam-optional or homework-optional in their courses, nor do they follow an “unschooling” philosophy. They are factories that issue diplomas by the thousands. While nothing prevents this student from continuing to unschool himself without attending university at all, if he does wish to attend college, it is a vain gesture to fight this battle at the admissions stage without intending to also fight it class by class at the college.</p>
<p>I have known incredibly smart and well-prepared autodidacts who actually pursued similar approaches while in college, such as submitting long original research articles when possible in lieu of ordinary course requirements (when allowed by professor, which was often) and were effectively treated like grad students. But none of them tried to circumvent the testing requirements for admission, and they did extremely well on SATs, GREs and all other objective measures.</p>
<p>Update: the student didn’t get into the student’s target colleges and is taking a postgraduate year of secondary schooling next school year. I hope the student gets over not wanting to take standardized tests and takes a few during the next admission cycle.</p>
<p>The student, if they really didn’t want to take the tests, should have picked better schools to apply to that are clear that they don’t require the test</p>
<p>There are many schools like that, and most are wonderful, so this sounds like picking schools that weren’t smart choices</p>
<p>If you want to take a stand, fair enough, but you need to be smart about it at the same time</p>
<p>Tokenadult,
This student’s stance strikes me as cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. There are simply too many highly qualified applicants at the top schools to play that game. There are a number of fine colleges that are SAT/ACT optional (Bowdoin – and I believe Hampshire – come immediately to mind). The other posters are right, though – if there are no test scores, a candidate will never even <em>get</em> to the admissions committee.</p>
<p>Moreover, at least for Intel, RSI and TASP, those standardized test scores are required as part of the application process. Those are more opportunities lost for an exceptional student who doesn’t want to do the testing.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s a good point that not only colleges but also valuable summer programs for high school students (in some cases FREE to the participants) regard standardized test scores. No one claims that test scores are the whole story about any applicant, but an applicant might as well not throw away opportunities that can be gained simply by taking a test.</p>
<p>There’s a difference between intelligence and wisdom. The student must be a very bright kid and all, but he’s not wise by refusing to take the SAT or ACT. In fact, I’d call him a dumbass.</p>
<p>Yeah, they are called hooked candidates, such as recruited athletes. :)</p>
<p>Now, obviously, the Ivies need to compute their individual AI’s, so tests are a requirement for the Ancient Eight. But, I do know (not just ‘heard’) of athletes attending two high profile schools in Pac-10 schools in SoCal who did not complete all testing required for the common applicants.</p>
<p>Hi, bluebayou, I see you said SoCal, so that’s not an exception to what Stanford said based on your personal knowledge. I’ll have to check what my alma mater says about waiving testing requirements.</p>
<p>That does sound a bit arrogant to me. I admit it’s a shame that we have to resort to hoop-jumping all the time to get ahead, but if you want to live in the real world, you have to learn to play by the rules. </p>