Applying “Test Optional” Can Be a Risky Move

Among the multitude of lifestyle changes brought on by Covid was the opportunity to apply to colleges without SAT scores – known as going “test optional.”  Colleges adopted this policy as a lifeline to ensure that they continued to receive applications from many more prospective students than they could possibly admit, maintaining their reputation as being highly competitive.   

 

But the tide is turning, and current high school students who opt out of preparing for, and taking, the SAT are greatly limiting their options. The SAT (or ACT) is once again required by many of the most elite, and competitive, universities throughout the country including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Georgetown University, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia, University of Florida and Florida State University, and the United States Naval Academy, Military Academy, and Air Force Academy. Colleges realize that no student is currently prevented from taking the SAT due to Covid, so those who do not submit scores either did not bother taking the test or did not earn scores worth submitting.

Earning high SAT scores is often the easiest way to impress college admissions officers.  Applicants who go test optional may attract increased scrutiny on other materials, such as GPA, essays, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation, according to Forbes. Most colleges will consider test scores, if submitted, with the exception of UCLA, UC-Berkeley, and others under the auspices of the University of California, which are “test blind.” 

 

College admissions offices which report being “holistic” consider all aspects of a student’s application.  It’s safest for high school students to take the SAT and then, when deciding whether or not to submit their results, compare them with the median scores of those accepted to a particular college. Students can even access Naviance, or whichever software program their high school is using, to compare their SAT scores with those of peers who were accepted, or rejected, by a potential college. 

 

SAT scores often serve additional purposes, such as allowing students to opt out of placement tests prior to the start of their freshman year.  Scores are also used by many colleges and scholarship programs to award grants (money that does not get paid back) to collegebound students.  They know that the SAT is the one level playing field on which to compare all applicants and award those who have risen to the top.

 

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT^® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362