Test optional is a disaster

[Anonymous]

I am seeing recommendations that you should only submit your score if you are at or above the mean for the college.
The reason is that colleges want to look good in national stats, so they don't want students who will lower their numbers.

However, not every student will be at exactly the mean, so this means the average for that college will go up.
The next year, only students who score at or higher than that new higher average will be reporting their scores, producing a still higher average.
Pretty soon only 1600s will be reporting their scores. The colleges will be getting no information except for this small group.

How about if they are going to be test optional, the College Board reports the average for each college's acceptances and enrolled students in the aggregate?
That way you at least don't have this vicious cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am seeing recommendations that you should only submit your score if you are at or above the mean for the college.
The reason is that colleges want to look good in national stats, so they don't want students who will lower their numbers.

However, not every student will be at exactly the mean, so this means the average for that college will go up.
The next year, only students who score at or higher than that new higher average will be reporting their scores, producing a still higher average.
Pretty soon only 1600s will be reporting their scores. The colleges will be getting no information except for this small group.

How about if they are going to be test optional, the College Board reports the average for each college's acceptances and enrolled students in the aggregate?
That way you at least don't have this vicious cycle.

You are assuming that kids will even take the SAT. I know kids who decided not to and just go test optional. Also, you can’t force kids to report their college results to the College board.

[Anonymous]

My kid's school has not required the SAT for years. After they accepted their offers and starting filling out registration info they school asked them to self-report their scores. Mine had submitted his with the application but resent them at that time. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Stop being dramatic. Lots of schools have been test option for 10+ years and are doing fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am seeing recommendations that you should only submit your score if you are at or above the mean for the college.
The reason is that colleges want to look good in national stats, so they don't want students who will lower their numbers.

However, not every student will be at exactly the mean, so this means the average for that college will go up.
The next year, only students who score at or higher than that new higher average will be reporting their scores, producing a still higher average.
Pretty soon only 1600s will be reporting their scores. The colleges will be getting no information except for this small group.

How about if they are going to be test optional, the College Board reports the average for each college's acceptances and enrolled students in the aggregate?
That way you at least don't have this vicious cycle.

I feel like you are a little behind as this has been happening since 2020. Test optional is good for schools bc it allows them more flexibility to take who they want while simultaneously increasing their averages. I would say the guidance is a little more nuanced than how you paint it: depends on rest of application, how TO applicants do at a particular college, demographic profile of applicant etc

[Anonymous]

Test optional might be a "disaster" for you and/ or your DC, but it's here to stay.

Submit or don't submit.

Your choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop being dramatic. Lots of schools have been test option for 10+ years and are doing fine.

Yes, but most kids used to submit scores. That’s now changing and causing problems for admissions officers, like too many applicants and an inability to fairly judge student records. Tests are coming back.

[Anonymous]

My prediction is that starting with this year’s ED, kids with test scores are going to start winning more seats, particularly at selective schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Test optional might be a "disaster" for you and/ or your DC, but it's here to stay.

Submit or don't submit.

Your choice.

Either way you are not getting in unless you have something special that the school wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that starting with this year’s ED, kids with test scores are going to start winning more seats, particularly at selective schools.

I predict that a lot of colleges are going announce a reversion to testing for 2023.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that starting with this year’s ED, kids with test scores are going to start winning more seats, particularly at selective schools.

That has been the case for the past years as well. If you have two candidates and one submits a good score and one is test optional, reason suggests the first one gets the slot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that starting with this year’s ED, kids with test scores are going to start winning more seats, particularly at selective schools.

+1 TO but preferred lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Test optional might be a "disaster" for you and/ or your DC, but it's here to stay.

Submit or don't submit.

Your choice.

Either way you are not getting in unless you have something special that the school wants.

True.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop being dramatic. Lots of schools have been test option for 10+ years and are doing fine.

Yes, but most kids used to submit scores. That’s now changing and causing problems for admissions officers, like too many applicants and an inability to fairly judge student records. Tests are coming back.

AOs know how to do their jobs. We're going on year 3 of mass TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that starting with this year’s ED, kids with test scores are going to start winning more seats, particularly at selective schools.

That is already the case, one would be hard pressed to find a T20 school that accepted 40 percent or more students test optional.