In the past few years especially, college admissions has seen a significant turn toward offering test optional admissions options. Such a change in offerings started just shortly before the pandemic, but was only accelerated by students’ inability to reach testing centers and disrupted school calendars. However, in any case, whether or not to apply test optional is now just another decision students must make as they prepare to apply to college.
The decision to apply with or without test scores is a uniquely personal decision. At Marks Education, we understand that every student is different and therefore every application is different, which means we couldn’t possibly discuss each factor worth considering for every student in this article. However, we hope this gives you something to think about when it comes to submitting scores. It’s often a much more complex decision than many students realize!
What are the testing approaches?
When first making decisions about your college application process, understanding the nuance of college testing policies can be important to building your college application strategy.
Here are the different testing approaches a university might’ve adopted:
Test-Required Schools
Though somewhat rare, this bracket includes a select group of prestigious institutions, including some Ivy League colleges like Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard and Brown, but also other elite schools such as Georgetown and MIT, who maintain a test-required stance. These colleges argue that test scores provide an additional and standardized metric for assessing an applicant’s readiness for the rigorous academic environment they offer.
Also, where grading systems, access to opportunity, and standards of learning are different between individual schools, states, and countries, standardized tests are the same no matter where you are. Therefore, they’re very helpful in measuring achievement.
Test-Blind or Test-Free Schools
At the other end of the spectrum are schools like the University of California system, who adopted a test-blind or test-free approach in 2021. These schools do not consider standardized test scores in their admissions process even if you send them!
Their philosophy is that excellence can be demonstrated through other parts of the application, such as academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and personal essays; which they use to assess your candidacy instead.
Test-Optional
The largest group of colleges and universities now operate under a test-optional policy. This policy grants applicants the discretion to decide whether their standardized test scores accurately reflect their academic capabilities and potential.
However, it’s important to consider how firmly a school is test optional as you’re making admissions decisions. Some schools have been test-optional for a long time, while other schools have adopted them as more of a short term adaptation to the pandemic or trial run. Understanding a university’s relationship to standardized testing can be helpful in your decision to submit scores or not.
What this means for you:
We recommend that students carefully research the policy of each school they’re applying to and simultaneously consider how their personal circumstances and academic record align with the ethos and requirements of each policy. For example, a great SAT or ACT® score could be a significant advantage at a test-optional school, especially if it aligns with the upper quartiles of their admitted student profile. Conversely, at test-blind schools, you’ll need to focus on other aspects of your application instead.
You should also be aware of the fact that testing policies are constantly changing and vary between schools. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of trends and current discussions about where you’re planning to apply. If you’re not sure, an educational advisor may be right for you!
Remember, it is always easier to decide down the line that you’d like to exclude your test scores than to decide at the last minute you’d like to include them, especially when you haven’t taken or prepared for the tests.
Evaluating Your Profile
Beyond understanding what preferences the college has on testing, assessing your individual academic profile honestly and realistically is important to making informed college decisions. Here are a few things to consider:
Score Representation
Spend time reflecting on whether your test scores accurately represent your academic abilities and interests. Did you have a bad test day? Didn’t prepare as much as you’d like? Have you improved academically since your last sitting and want your growth to be considered accordingly?
Try comparing your scores with your high school’s general performance and the rigor of your coursework to determine the competitiveness of your scores and whether they accurately reflect your abilities and fit the expectations of the university.
Score Alignment with Interests:
Consider how your scores align with your intended field of study. For STEM or business programs, quantitative scores may be weighed more heavily, while humanities programs might focus on verbal scores or other metrics.
You should also evaluate whether the balance between your English and math scores reflect your strengths and academic interests. These factors can be tough to weigh, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the college application process, which is where our college application counselors can help.
Contextual Factors:
While not always highlighted, factors like socioeconomic status and first-generation-to-college status can influence the expectations colleges may have around your submitted test scores. Though it may not be the primary focus, being aware of how your background might impact the perception of your scores is important.
How do your scores compare to other students in your graduating class? Your area? Or your family history? These are all valid questions to consider when thinking about how your scores will be read by admissions officers.
Conclusion
Do you have more questions about how test scores should factor into your college application? A Marks Education tutor or counselor would be glad to help! Please contact us for a free consultation to learn more about what it means to include test scores in your application and if it might be the right choice for you.