Would applying to an Sat optional school and not including Sat harm my chances?
No. That’s why they went optional.
If, however, your SAT score is well within or above their typical scores, it could help. This is often the case, even at SAT optional schools, if your grades were weak at some point and you’re explaining that you’ve improved and you’re making a case that you can handle the work.
If your SAT scores wouldn’t help your application, don’t submit them. If won’t hurt you and you’ll be evaluated solely on the basis of the rest of your application.
If your standardized test scores are below the school’s average then you are better off applying test optional.
happy1
I think the schools who use the test optional approach do it carte blanche. it is designed for certain demographics and as a way to legitimize an unbalanced use of standards for targeted groups… as of now schools will not say they have different criteria for different demographics but they can say we look at the entire student and test scores are not that important…but I can almost assure you if you are not in a target demographic send your test scores if you want a chance at admission.
I went on a tour to one of the top LAC colleges and the admissions officer told me blatantly that if your scores are anywhere below the average DO NOT SEND THEM. I was just wondering if this applied to the other ones too.
@FiddleMySticks I’ve heard admissions reps at test optional LACs say the same thing flat out in meetings and/or at information sessions. I was shocked at first.
@zobroward We will have to agree to disagree. The experience of people in my HS (an public very competitive HS in a nice neighborhood – not filled students bringing “different demographics”) has shown that students get into college just fine going the test optional route and that test optional is preferred if the student’s standardized tests are below the school’s average. A big reason that colleges want people with lower scores to apply test optional is so they can keep their standardized test averages high for ranking purposes.
either SAT/ACT provide a valuable insight into a students abilities or they are worthless.
so either dump them as an outdated measurement from the 20th century admissions process or embrace them. the maybe you should take them and submit your scores or maybe not is really silly. test optional is a cowardly 1/2 step.