<p>It certainly makes for a fun junior spring, particularly for kids who need to have test scores for recruiting pre-reads. Cramming in an SAT reasoning test or two, an ACT to compare, at least a couple of AP tests, two to three subject tests, and emailing coaches, all while keeping up with grades, sports and other responsibilities is near to impossible.</p>
<p>I agree, Sue22. And one big frustration of college admissions is that the busier and more successful academically a student is, the more complex and demanding this crazy process often becomes … bleeding free time from the kids who have too little already. Frankly, the testing requirements don’t bug me as much as the application requirements do. If the Common App were truly “common,” there wouldn’t be so many supplement essays, short answer questions, differing deadlines, etc. I made the whole testing biz as low-key for my junior son as possible (one ACT; two Subject Tests. Period. Well, plus the AP exams his school requires). And although his college list will be shorter than many, I still hate the thought that he’ll be giving up vacation days this August to write essays.</p>
<p>Sally, I went a step further with my first. He didn’t take the SAT or ACT at all. His PSAT scores were so out of whack with his grades and ECs that we knew that even with intensive test prep he’d never get them up to where they needed to be for the level of schools he was targeting. We made a list of great test-optional schools and he spent the time he wasn’t giving up to studying for the SAT on keeping up his grades and pursuing his outside interests. He applied early to a NESCAC school and got in, so he had a very sane senior fall.</p>
<p>^^ That’s a really interesting strategy that I hadn’t considered before. Not sure I’d recommend it for most kids, but it obviously worked for you, so it has some merit for certain situations. D has a friend who’s really bright with good grades, but I suspect she’s got some undiagnosed learning disability, because she was never able to get past a 19 ACT, no matter what she did, and she tried everything - this strategy might have worked. She got into the state flagship based on grades alone, so that worked out, but she really wanted to find something else. I’ll have to keep it in mind should I run across it again when talking to fellow parents.</p>
<p>It really only works if, as my son’s was, your list is already heavy on test-optional schools. He knew he wanted a Northeastern LAC, many of which are test-optional, so he only had to knock a couple of schools off his list. We might have considered the same approach for our D but her scores are better and it looks like she’ll be a recruited athlete so she’ll need scores to show coaches.</p>
<p>Sue22–I like that strategy for a kid whose test scores are unlikely to reflect grades and abilities … not just because it means less stress and hassle for the student but also because, at least in a small way, you’re thumbing your nose at the system. I felt that I was doing a bit of the same by bypassing the SAT I. I figured that my own son would test well, and he did. But, even so, I saw no need for him to take several tests several times in order to eke out an extra point or two. I chose the ACT over the SAT for a few reasons but largely because science is probably my son’s strongest suit. And as he now watches his friends suffer through multiple sunrise wake-ups to get to test sites by 7:45, he is grateful that he has a senior-citizen mother who went to college in the 60s, back when few folks prepped for these tests and when the One and Done plan was the norm for many of us. </p>
<p>Without being facetious, are there any colleges that are GPA optional?</p>
<p>GPAs can be subjective and test scores are not. It seems that students who do well on tests due to their overall knowledge and ability to work under pressure suffer compared to kids who win popularity contests with their teachers (of course not all cases, but certainly some cases - as a teacher, I know that how you run your course and how you grade your course depends a lot on you). A student who has ADHD for example might have trouble with classes but ace standardized tests.</p>
<p>Who is concerned about those kids getting into decent colleges, and not being discriminated against?</p>
<p>And a sidenote to that is that very few HS classes, even and perhaps especially AP classes, are run like college classes. Most college classes have weekly homework, usually self-guided and not graded, and have grading systems of 20%,20%, 20%, 40% for three mid-terms and a final exam. No homework required. There are a few exceptions in freshman classes, especially for students who aren’t ready for college math and science.</p>
<p>I am surprise that some people have still not figured this out yet. When some institutions are in FINANCIAL TROUBLE, they have to come up with a game plan to keep their vision going. This has little nor nothing to do with diversity - well, maybe, but a different kind of diversity. Not the one we hope for…
It will certainly benefit some students (RICH STUDENTS WITH LOW TEST SCORES/GPA), and the move will lead to a noticeable change in student body makeup (harbor for NOT-SO- BRIGHT WEALTHY KIDS).
It is not a new game changer, but Wesleyan’s just made it more obvious with the timing plus their on-going financial troubles.</p>
<p>The problem here still remains. When students are preparing for graduate school, MCAT/LSAT/GRE etc…are not optional, so students still need to realize the importance of the these test, know how to prepare and test well on standardized test. So, in all, it becomes a disadvantage for the student, and only benefits the school’s agenda.</p>
<p>In my opinion, I think thats testing should be a requirement. The best policy is test flexible. Basically, you need standardized testing to truly distinguish smart kids from kids who just have high grades because they are the teachers pet. In my high school, almost every year, the valedictorian has a 97+ average yet manages only a 1200-1300 on the SAT. And why? because they are simply teachers pets. I like the subject test and ap test combination </p>
<p>Different strokes for different folks. Bowdoin and Bates have been test optional for decades. Their admissions staff would argue that the best indicator of how a student will perform in college is how they performed in high school. Test optional schools don’t refuse to consider your test scores if you submit them, they just allow you not to do so if you don’t think they reflect your ability. This often works well for really bright kids with LDs like dyslexia or for kids who don’t have the benefit of test prep.</p>
<p>Coco2018-</p>
<p>You assumptions are not necessarily correct. Bowdoin has been test optional since the '70s and is still top feeder school to the top 5 law, business and med schools (i.e. programs which place a huge emphasis on test scores for admission to grad school) per a study done by the WSJ. <a href=“http://www.inpathways.net/top50feeder.pdf”>InPathWays - Discover latest hot new trending topic, insights, analysis. </p>
<p>And, Bowdoin is also a very wealthy school, contrary to your assumption, with one of the largest per capita endowments in the U.S. (Indeed, larger than 4 of the 8 Ivies, and about equal to Dartmouth’s). </p>
<p>I recognize it can be very difficult to get in to Bowdoin without submitting scores, but the school, in its wisdom, recognizes that there are likely exceptional candidates whose low test scores don’t account for other aptitudes, abilities or life circumstances. It hasn’t held the school back when you look at its alumni pool, donation rates, and of course, the US news rankings (which ranks Bowdoin 4th among national liberal arts colleges). Personally, I think Bowdoin strikes a great balance.</p>
<p>According to Bowdoin’s website about 15 percent of applicants and 20 percent of matriculants for last year’s freshman class did not submit test scores.
<a href=“Test Optional Policy | Bowdoin College”>Test Optional Policy | Bowdoin College;
<p>@ alum88, I am quite happy that you mentioned Bowdoin, one of the schools that we found was just like any other. Several kids in my community applied, and about 4 choose not to submit their scores due to low scores. Among those that did not submit scores 2 got in, and they were kids that did not apply for financial aid and paid out of pocket. The other 2 that got denied had higher GPA and test scores(which they still decided not to submit) than the 2 that got accepted, but applied for financial aid because they were low income students. By the way this is just a few months ago. So, how does this scenario play out for the so call…“TEST-OPTIONAL?” It was the talk of the town, but it was not surprising to me, because I had always suspected most schools do just that, and not just Bowdoin.
I rest my case.</p>
<p>Um, I’m quite sure one of the reasons that Wesleyan is going SAT optional is to increase # of applications. They experienced a decline this year. </p>
<p>@coco2018:
Well, the proof will be in the pudding, won’t it:
</a></p>
<p>@circuuitrider:
Indeed, but what difference does that make as far as detailing who got denied and accepted. That will be medicine after death, like the old saying goes.
The deed would have already be done by then, thus, becoming just another data collection exercise, which as we all know is subject to the school’s agenda and how they want to represent that data. Forbes recently excluded about 4 schools this year for manipulating such data - how many other schools got away with it?
So, yes…it definitely is in the pudding, if we can all feel the texture, and judge it ourselves.</p>
<p>Coco-</p>
<p>I have a hard time trying to follow your argument, but if you are trying to contend that Bowdoin admits students because they are wealthy and have ability to pay you are seriously misinformed. Bowdoin has a need blind admissions policy, and is one of the few schools in the country with a no loan policy. In fact, it is one of the most generous schools in the country when it comes to grants. This year, 43.4% of the class just admitted received need based, no- loan student aid. <a href=“http://community.bowdoin.edu/news/2014/05/the-record-setting-class-of-2018/”>http://community.bowdoin.edu/news/2014/05/the-record-setting-class-of-2018/</a>. I suspect there is more to the story than you know about who was admitted from your community, and why.</p>
<p>I would not go so far as to question a school’s motives for going test-optional. The important thing is, what does it mean for the student trying to decide how to prioritize his or her time? Many students would be tempted to read the news about test optional schools and decide to put off studying for the exam. However, I would caution students against viewing the test-optional list as a free lunch. While there are over 800 schools on the test optional list, there might be far fewer than that for most of you looking for an accredited, traditional four-year liberal arts degree. There is an excellent New York Times piece on this: <a href=“The Other Side of ‘Test Optional’ - The New York Times”>The Other Side of ‘Test Optional’ - The New York Times;
<p>coco2018-
How do you know the GPAs and test scores of everyone who applied to Bowdoin? Gossip is not usually a good source of data, and 4 data points are not statistically significant, particularly when you have no idea what the rest of the application contained.</p>
<p>There’s also the whole athlete angle, which adds a whole other dimension to the admission puzzle.</p>