Is it bad that they haven’t asked me for my first quarter grades?
No. It is not bad.
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Looks like many applicants took SAT or ACT somehow or the other. Test optional may not mean much as such; perhaps colleges may have more applications, especially from those with inflated GPAs.
I wonder if the number of qualified applicants is actually up at these selective schools this year of if the increase in applicants is mostly unqualified kids with no scores and inflated GPAs.
it may show up in common app if you log in and check under recommenders/ferpa tab for your PENN app
just because they don’t have scores doesn’t mean they’re unqualified. other factors will play a lot deeper this year (essays, recs, interview).
smart! I didn’t think of that. Did anyone else see a date for their counselor submitting a mid year report? Mine is not there, making me think I was not asked to submit those grades
Don’t assume anything. If your counselor were to use a non-CommonApp system (such as Naviance or SCOIR) to submit transcripts/letters then you may not see an update the FERPA section.
What school did you apply to ?
I applied to Wharton
International student?
Not really… I live outside the US but am a citizen.
Oh ok! I am in the IB. Do you think that it is really bad that I did not submit standardized tests?
By the way applied to CAS ed
Also, have you heard anything about when decisions come out?
well when i attended a penn information session they emphasized that test optional really meant test optional and they aren’t going to hold it against you if you don’t have a standardized test score. imo it might have some negative affects tho because with increased applicants this year it might be tougher for admissions officers to sort out the academically qualified solely based on ecs, essays, rec letters, etc. Therefore, there might be a bias towards those with a test score?? Honestly nobody really knows, but good luck!
Right! Thanks for this. I also joined several info sessions and they really stressed out the test optional policy but IDK if it is true… Let’s hope for the best. Fingers crossed
nope, i imagine we should be getting an email really soon though
What major did you apply for?
I don’t think they’ll put anyone at a disadvantage for not submitting tests. Those who did submit tests, however, will probably see a benefit as the tests are another indicator/verifier of academic success. If there were two applicants with identical everything except one submitted test scores, they won’t judge between them. The tests come in more when kids have lower GPAs and/or worse ECs. This is what I have heard from the info sessions and from my college counselor. I applied to Wharton.
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