Should I submit a 1340 SAT to William and Mary or apply test-optional?
If you check out their Common Data Set (https://www.wm.edu/offices/it/services/ir/university_data/cds/c-2022.pdf, page 4), it looks like a 1340 wouldn’t be as competitive as most of the scores submitted, so I would go test-optional if that’s available to you.
1340 puts you below WMs 25th%ile. If you don’t think that is a positive to your application, you should apply test optional.
Couldn’t it be assumed that due to the rise of Test-Optional the middle 50% SAT is inflated because the only people who are submitting scores are those with ones well above previous average?
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yes, I would think that. You could look at the Common Data Sets for the past few years to see how much change there has been. Most tend to submit if they are close to or above the top 25%.
I imagine it is inflated compared to the average SAT of all applicants, yes.
That being said, I’d want to be sure that it was helping my application. All accounts I’ve seen imply that test optional really does just mean that it’s optional — they won’t ding your application if you don’t submit a score. With that in the mix, again, I’d just want to make sure that every piece of my application was advancing the cause, and showing that I’d be an asset to the institution.
I’m by no means an expert on standardized tests and the psychology of using them / not. The state schools here in CA won’t even accept scores, so it’s not something I’ve really wrestled with. But if I (or my kids, really) were applying in a state with a test-optional SAT setup, I’d probably hold my score back unless I knew it’d make me an even more attractive candidate.
Good luck, whichever direction you go with it!
Thank you, also do you know what William and Mary or colleges in general consider to be first generation?
Students whose parents did not complete a college degree.
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It’s a tough call because 1340 is well below the 1375 listed in the most recent CDS (which might be one year prior). And 70% submitted - which is well above many test optional schools, even elite ones.
Their class of 's shows a 1380 - which is a bit more.
They do say the test is important in the CDS - so I think you’re hurt if you submitted and hurt if you don’t - so not sure which way to go.
I’d likely go TO because it won’t help your story by submitting one a good chunk below. On the other hand, it won’t be the lowest of any student they accept but I assume that 25% will include a lot of “hooked” applicants. If you are first gen, that might make it ok to send in…if. OOS will hurt - if you are and in-state will help.
How is your GPA (weighted) using .5 Honors/+1 AP. Their range is 4.1-4.5. If you are high, the test score may be ok. But if you are low, it might not be, etc.
Good luck.
Unfortunately, if you don’t get in and obviously we hope you do, but if you didn’t, you’d never know why.
Good luck.
Would living in a single parent household fall under the definition of “hooked”?
Don’t know but don’t believe so.
In the end if you think your score helps, send it. If not don’t.
You would be hard pressed, in my opinion, to see any reason to submit.
While I think that your odd are far less as TO, submitting likely isn’t going to help. On the flipside if your GPA is insanely high, perhaps that’s a good counter.
No.
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34% of William and Mary’s last admitted class applied test optional.
My son had a similar score. His college counselor recommended he apply TO. He did and was accepted ED1.
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