Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently announced that applicants must once again must submit SAT or ACT scores. MIT joins a roster of colleges that have now rescinded their temporary “test optional” policy, including the public universities in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina which are often favorites of New Jersey students.
Test optional means that SAT or ACT scores are not required of applicants. It does not mean that they are not important. All colleges will look at test scores, if submitted, with the exception of a limited number of schools that are “test blind,” most notably the University of California.
The reason so many colleges went test optional for the high school graduating class of 2021 was that COVID caused the mass cancellation of SAT exams. It was important for colleges to attract as many applicants as possible, so they could be as selective as ever when choosing who to admit or deny.
It’s important for college bound students to recognize that submitting SAT or ACT scores routinely increases their chances of being admitted to college, receiving more scholarship money, and placing out of remedial and introductory courses -- even at test-optional universities.
Applicants who submit impressive standardized test 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” that demonstrates leadership and expertise in a specific field.
Students who feel they are not strong test-takers should carefully prepare for the SAT and take the exam several times. They can later choose which of their scores to share with colleges and which to ignore. As the SAT is marked on a curve, students can actually get the same number of questions correct on two separate SAT exams and earn vastly different scores.
When it’s time to submit college applications, students should compare their SAT scores (via Naviance) with those of their peers from previous years who applied to the same colleges. This will help determine whether or not to submit SAT scores to each school, if that is an option. Even when students choose not to use their SAT scores for college application purposes, the scores are extremely valuable for placement in freshman year classes and in seeking scholarship money.
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
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