Be Sure to Know What “Test Optional” Truly Means

Students are often thrilled to hear the news of the latest college to join the “test optional” list that currently includes Harvard, Penn State, Villanova, Boston College, University of Virginia, and other elite institutions.

Students may make the assumption that gaining acceptance to these colleges and universities will now be easier, with one less hoop to jump through. However, the past admission cycle has demonstrated just the opposite. 

The majority of colleges went test optional for the high school graduating class of 2021, due to the mass cancellation of SAT exams last spring. These colleges wanted to continue attracting a vast number of applicants, in order to remain as competitive as ever. They more than succeeded at meeting that goal.

Many of the most competitive schools saw a substantial increase in the number of Early Decision and Early Action applications they received this past fall, compared to the fall of 2019 when SAT scores were required. Some of the greatest increases were at: MIT (62%), Harvard (57%), Columbia (49%), Yale (38%), Cornell (37%), University of Virginia (36%), Virginia Tech (35%), University of Georgia (27%), University of Pennsylvania (23%). 

The greater the number of applicants results in the greater the number of students who are rejected, adding to the prestige and competitiveness of the institution. 

The term “test optional” does not mean that a college will not look at SAT or ACT scores. It just means that test scores are not required.  It’s notable that some colleges that report to be test optional actually ask students, on their application, why they are not submitting test scores.

Applicants who submit impressive SAT or ACT scores obviously stand out. Those who don’t, and hope to gain admission to an elite university, need to have stellar grades in an extremely rigorous curriculum (perhaps 10 to 15 AP courses) and a remarkable “passion project.” One of my recent students, for example, developed a medical device that was featured at a White House Science Fair.  (She was accepted to MIT and seven Ivy League Institutions.)

The only colleges that will not look at test scores are those that are “test blind,” the vast majority of which are part of the University of California.

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362