Cornell Test Required starting 2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year only 24% of Cornell applicants submitted test scores. Let that sink in.

The stats were so insanely high it was obvious there were thousands of applicants with insecurity about their scores.

My son submitted to Cornell. Math was slightly below published 25%ile at 680, verbal was 750 and competitive with published ranges. Non-STEM major intention. Result: waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:where can I find 2019 percentiles of SAT req for colleges?

https://irp.dpb.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CDS_2019-2020_FINAL.pdf:

CORNELL 2019-2020 CDS:
SAT:
25% 1420 and 75% 1540
ACT:
25% 32 and 75% 35

thanks! Now the question is whether the new SAT will correlate with this.

So interesting. A 33 or 34 ACT is squarely middle 50% (prob a 33.5)....but no one would tell you to submit that right this past year....

Exactly this. We were told not to submit a 33 this year. did not submit a 33.
Result… Admitted.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s ridiculous that they chose a slippery middle ground by saying “test encouraged” - what does that even mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year only 24% of Cornell applicants submitted test scores. Let that sink in.

The stats were so insanely high it was obvious there were thousands of applicants with insecurity about their scores.

My son submitted to Cornell. Math was slightly below published 25%ile at 680, verbal was 750 and competitive with published ranges. Non-STEM major intention. Result: waitlist.

For Cornell you have to look at the scores by college, Ag and Engineering are very different. My 1590 got WL for engineering.

[Anonymous]

Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^One can hope the remainder of the country will follow!!!

Why does it matter if schools do TO or not? Do you think your kid is being penalized?

.


Test optional does penalize kids with high scores because kids get in test optional that would not get in if they had to show scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s ridiculous that they chose a slippery middle ground by saying “test encouraged” - what does that even mean?

Test optional -- not penalized for not submitting scores. Test recommended or preferred -- they are going to infer a low score if none submitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

Agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

I don't remember any smug parents crowing, but TO has bern the policy of some schools for decades, some test blind. I'm sure some who went TO during the pandemic may stay TO. No school that was TO pre-pandemic is now requiring tests.
Also, testing is just one data point. Even when required, it is not going to make a huge difference to most applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

I don't remember any smug parents crowing, but TO has bern the policy of some schools for decades, some test blind. I'm sure some who went TO during the pandemic may stay TO. No school that was TO pre-pandemic is now requiring tests.
Also, testing is just one data point. Even when required, it is not going to make a huge difference to most applications.

On the contrary, I think it's going to eliminate many students. Schools that are test required are going to use AI to screen apps for minimum GPAs and test scores. Some with low scores won't apply.

LACs and schools that were test optional will likely stay test optional as long as they can handle the volume of apps they get. But I expect most schools that weren't test optional before covid will switch back for the class of 2026.

[Anonymous]

So what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

I don't remember any smug parents crowing, but TO has bern the policy of some schools for decades, some test blind. I'm sure some who went TO during the pandemic may stay TO. No school that was TO pre-pandemic is now requiring tests.
Also, testing is just one data point. Even when required, it is not going to make a huge difference to most applications.

On the contrary, I think it's going to eliminate many students. Schools that are test required are going to use AI to screen apps for minimum GPAs and test scores. Some with low scores won't apply.

LACs and schools that were test optional will likely stay test optional as long as they can handle the volume of apps they get. But I expect most schools that weren't test optional before covid will switch back for the class of 2026.

Yale AO said on the record (I am trying to find the quote) that about 20th of the increase in applications because of TO were not competitive and therefore Yale was okay with going test required because they’ll still have 50,000+ applications to choose from under test required. I don’t like test optional, but I think some parents are over estimating what the shift will do to acceptance rates. For schools that were under 10-12% before TO, there wi not be a huge statistical difference in the probability of a students getting accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

I don't remember any smug parents crowing, but TO has bern the policy of some schools for decades, some test blind. I'm sure some who went TO during the pandemic may stay TO. No school that was TO pre-pandemic is now requiring tests.
Also, testing is just one data point. Even when required, it is not going to make a huge difference to most applications.

On the contrary, I think it's going to eliminate many students. Schools that are test required are going to use AI to screen apps for minimum GPAs and test scores. Some with low scores won't apply.

LACs and schools that were test optional will likely stay test optional as long as they can handle the volume of apps they get. But I expect most schools that weren't test optional before covid will switch back for the class of 2026.

I doubt many low scorers were viable during TO. Those applying TO were likely upper 1400s/33 range. It is very unlikely a kid who is really not cutting it on SAT is rocking APs/DEs and generating the kind of app needed for admission to top schools. Your estimation of it is just too simplistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

I don't remember any smug parents crowing, but TO has bern the policy of some schools for decades, some test blind. I'm sure some who went TO during the pandemic may stay TO. No school that was TO pre-pandemic is now requiring tests.
Also, testing is just one data point. Even when required, it is not going to make a huge difference to most applications.

On the contrary, I think it's going to eliminate many students. Schools that are test required are going to use AI to screen apps for minimum GPAs and test scores. Some with low scores won't apply.

LACs and schools that were test optional will likely stay test optional as long as they can handle the volume of apps they get. But I expect most schools that weren't test optional before covid will switch back for the class of 2026.

I doubt many low scorers were viable during TO. Those applying TO were likely upper 1400s/33 range. It is very unlikely a kid who is really not cutting it on SAT is rocking APs/DEs and generating the kind of app needed for admission to top schools. Your estimation of it is just too simplistic.

Sights should be set on superscoring and excessive (more than 3 total, if that) ACT or SAT administrations next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back for your just desserts, smug parents who crowed about TO being here to stay!

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy being this right THIS much!

I don't remember any smug parents crowing, but TO has bern the policy of some schools for decades, some test blind. I'm sure some who went TO during the pandemic may stay TO. No school that was TO pre-pandemic is now requiring tests.
Also, testing is just one data point. Even when required, it is not going to make a huge difference to most applications.

On the contrary, I think it's going to eliminate many students. Schools that are test required are going to use AI to screen apps for minimum GPAs and test scores. Some with low scores won't apply.

LACs and schools that were test optional will likely stay test optional as long as they can handle the volume of apps they get. But I expect most schools that weren't test optional before covid will switch back for the class of 2026.

I doubt many low scorers were viable during TO. Those applying TO were likely upper 1400s/33 range. It is very unlikely a kid who is really not cutting it on SAT is rocking APs/DEs and generating the kind of app needed for admission to top schools. Your estimation of it is just too simplistic.

And those scores will all be coming back.
Was 32 really 25% back on 19-20!! Wow that’s low.