Test Optional

My daughter’s top two schools have decided to go test optional for the 2020-2021 admission cycle. She’s done a lot of good things in high school as far as grades, ECs, etc. He common app is essay is strong and her letters of rec I think will be great. However, she didn’t do all that well when taking the SAT and ACT. So when the decision to go test optional was made she was thrilled. I thought she should still take one of the tests just in case she does well she has a little more strength to her application. I was wondering if the admissions people will look at applications with ACT and/or SAT scores and think these kids are more of the “go getters” and took their tests early as opposed to kids who submit without standardized tests who maybe look at as kids who didn’t get their stuff together in time, or took them and didn’t fare that well.

This could not be further from the truth. The reason most colleges provide for going test optional is that they recognize that not all students are good test takers, not that they’re lazy. Test-optional colleges make a promise to non-testing students that they look at their applications the same as testing students. Submitting a test just adds another factor to consider to an applicant’s application, it doesn’t undermine another applicant. Especially with COVID-19 and many students typically taking the SAT/ACT during the latter part of junior year, colleges will understand and uphold the promises of test-optional policies.

Taking ACT and/or SAT early is probably mostly due to counselor and/or parent advice to do so, and that is probably most strongly correlated to being in a high school that is predominantly college bound and/or having college educated parents.

I’ll try and clean up my question. Will kids be looked down upon when it comes time for admissions if they do not submit ACT or SAT to those schools who are not making it part of the admissions process just in 2020-2021 ?

My D20 got into both her TO schools with excellent merit aid. She had great ECs, good grades, terrible test scores. My belief is that you have to take their statements at face value: if they say it has no impact on admission, then it has no impact on admission. Don’t second guess. Especially this year with COVID.

Even in normal times, many schools are test-optional, including some very selective ones. https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional There is no penalty or bias toward applicants who don’t take tests. Generally if you want merit aid they may want scores though. This is in normal times, again.

Actually taking the SAT too early (like in October of Junior year) is not good because you are learning more math/have been practicing math. I think taking the SAT in March and May/June is pretty typical. If you haven’t taken it early I don’t think it will be held against you this year.

My daughter got a really early start and took both the SAT and ACT in the first semester of her Junior year. She did this while playing Varsity Tennis so she didn’t do as well as she hoped. So with COVID causing some schools (especially her top two choices) making it optional she wasn’t too disappointed and now doesn’t want to take either test. She thinks her grades, ECs, Essay, and Letters of Recommendations is enough.

I think you take the schools at their word – they are responding to this new reality, in which tests have been cancelled, and who knows when the next one may actually take place. The schools want to fill their classes for next year, and if they exclude all applicants who weren’t able to test either before the pandemic, or somehow squeeze it in in time in the fall, they won’t be able to seat their class of '25. So, if you have a test score that works, great. If not, and the school is temporarily test optional, then write the strongest, most coherent application you can, and move forward with that, without the test scores.