IS TEST OPTIONAL FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS HERE TO STAY?

There has been a recent flurry of activity surrounding the value of the SAT and ACT, suggesting a swing in the pendulum away from test optional. [Recent articles: The Misleading SAT Debate – The New York Times (nytimes.com); The Misguided War on the SAT – The New York Times (nytimes.com) ]

Outside of the necessity to move to test optional during Covid, the rationale to go test optional is being questioned and backed up by research that suggests:

1) A direct correlation of college success tied to test results

2) Ways to use tests as a method to highlight academic talent even where the student population is more diverse.

3) There is so much grade inflation in schools throughout the U.S. that SAT/ACT testing becomes an essential measurement tool in the admission process

TEST OPTIONAL – A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:

• Some schools believed the college admission tests were unfair and offered applicants the option to NOT submit their scores.
• Over time, other colleges adopted the same philosophy and chose to become “test optional” schools, not requiring test scores as part of an application.
• Still, other colleges chose to go test optional as a marvelous marketing attractor for families that would think of their school when they might otherwise not have.
• Covid hit and, other than those in some southern states and California, most other schools went test optional out of necessity as test locations were closed.
• If students had a good GPA and other factors, but did not “test well”, they seized on the opportunity to apply. The test optional offerings resulted in substantial increases in applications at the more selective colleges. As a byproduct these colleges lowered their admit rates significantly.
• Some colleges took this momentum one step further and reduced the actual number of admits–enhancing their yield of enrolled students.
• MIT decided to go back to testing as a valuable data element in the admissions process. Other colleges took notice, but didn’t change their policy.
• Post Covid, colleges have had a chance to evaluate their perspective on their own test optional status.

THE REAL VALUE OF TESTING AND TEST PREP

I believe that a student benefits even if they don’t achieve a perfect SAT or ACT score in the following ways:

1. The test prep experience can help a student improve the reading, writing and math skills that will be tested in college and beyond.
2. Working with an adult tutor who is not grading the student can be a positive experience especially in these high pressure years.
3. We have found that when students work on their test prep it also translates to improved grades in other subjects as well. This is due to a combination of improved academic skill sets and increased confidence.

PREDICTION:

The most selective colleges will begin to reconsider the value of testing in their admission decisions if they truly believe that it is a way to get candidates more likely to excel at their college OR if it is a way to get the best diversity of candidates.

The more selective colleges will keep their test optional marketing outwardly, but may put in a second reader for each applicant that does not submit a score. These colleges that benefited from increased applicants and lower admit rates, making them more attractive, will have a hard time moving to a “test required” status.

SUMMARY:

There is no easy answer to the current admissions landscape relative to testing. It is not uncommon today for students to submit their test scores to some schools and not to others.

If you need guidance as you navigate the testing question, please reach out to us.

Time to set up an appointment to get started down the college selection and application path?  We can help support you with college prep, academic tutoring, test prep, college selection, applications and college decision making expertise. Give us a call today.   914-273-2353 OR Book a meeting directly by using this link.

 

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