any colleges moving to "test aware"?

[Anonymous]

I recently heard a podcast where the Dartmouth dean of admissions said they were moving from test optional to test aware. Basically saying, yeah, of course we'll notice if you don't send in a score and if you're coming from a UMC high school. That was the tone I was picking up. He was also saying, just send it .. it's better than you think. (which I'm not so sure is true)

I'm looking for more test aware schools. Has anyone else heard of schools moving that way?

[Anonymous]

Our college counselor told us last spring that this is how most top 25 schools are now, and definitely the top 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He was also saying, just send it .. it's better than you think. (which I'm not so sure is true)

I'm looking for more test aware schools. Has anyone else heard of schools moving that way?

I heard that comment too. One way to look at it is that the scores do give admissions offices information, so of course they'd like them. Their 25th-75th percentile range for last year for admitted was 1500/1580, so the midpoint would be 1540. It's true that not submitting a 1530 is probably foolish--it's a great score and would probably only be seen as a positive. But, if a straight-A student with excellent extracurriculars submits a 1200, I can't imagine that that would help their application, and more likely would hurt it. It would be great if admissions offices would tell us to submit everything above a particular score, but that's against their own interests.

[Anonymous]

They are looking for ways to reject you quickly so they can cut 28,000 applicants into 1,800 admits.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you send them, then you are giving them the definite information they need to reject you.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you don't send them, then you have not given them definite information, whatever they might suspect.

I'd lean towards not sending them if you're not above midpoint for the previous year's 25/75.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are looking for ways to reject you quickly so they can cut 28,000 applicants into 1,800 admits.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you send them, then you are giving them the definite information they need to reject you.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you don't send them, then you have not given them definite information, whatever they might suspect.

I'd lean towards not sending them if you're not above midpoint for the previous year's 25/75.

This is a good point, I bet you’re right. I hadn’t thought of this. They need to read every test optional applicant above a certain gpa and test score. But without a test score, they can’t do more initial cutting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are looking for ways to reject you quickly so they can cut 28,000 applicants into 1,800 admits.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you send them, then you are giving them the definite information they need to reject you.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you don't send them, then you have not given them definite information, whatever they might suspect.

I'd lean towards not sending them if you're not above midpoint for the previous year's 25/75.

I think this is last year's advice and what colleges are trying to stop by saying they are test aware. They are trying to balance having enough of a percentage of people with test scores submitted also. Because the issue is that with test optional the scores drift up and more people self-exclude themselves and thus the scores drift up further. Colleges that say they are test aware are signalling they are stopping this trend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are looking for ways to reject you quickly so they can cut 28,000 applicants into 1,800 admits.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you send them, then you are giving them the definite information they need to reject you.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you don't send them, then you have not given them definite information, whatever they might suspect.

I'd lean towards not sending them if you're not above midpoint for the previous year's 25/75.

I think this is last year's advice and what colleges are trying to stop by saying they are test aware. They are trying to balance having enough of a percentage of people with test scores submitted also. Because the issue is that with test optional the scores drift up and more people self-exclude themselves and thus the scores drift up further. Colleges that say they are test aware are signalling they are stopping this trend.

Not to mention the free money that comes in with the extra applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are looking for ways to reject you quickly so they can cut 28,000 applicants into 1,800 admits.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you send them, then you are giving them the definite information they need to reject you.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you don't send them, then you have not given them definite information, whatever they might suspect.

I'd lean towards not sending them if you're not above midpoint for the previous year's 25/75.

you're describing test blind. schools that are test aware means they will count a no show against you, unless you're hooked.

[Anonymous]

I persoannly have moved from "submit anything above 50%" to submit anything above 25". I'm a counselor. but I dont think I'd send anything below that unless very hooked

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I persoannly have moved from "submit anything above 50%" to submit anything above 25". I'm a counselor. but I dont think I'd send anything below that unless very hooked

Did you have a number of kids applying test optional rejected?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are looking for ways to reject you quickly so they can cut 28,000 applicants into 1,800 admits.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you send them, then you are giving them the definite information they need to reject you.

If your scores aren't top notch, and you don't send them, then you have not given them definite information, whatever they might suspect.

I'd lean towards not sending them if you're not above midpoint for the previous year's 25/75.

I think this is last year's advice and what colleges are trying to stop by saying they are test aware. They are trying to balance having enough of a percentage of people with test scores submitted also. Because the issue is that with test optional the scores drift up and more people self-exclude themselves and thus the scores drift up further. Colleges that say they are test aware are signalling they are stopping this trend.

Not to mention the free money that comes in with the extra applications.

Schools with free applications are also doing this. I don't think admissions offices are making money off the process--there's a lot of salaries to pay to do all the recruiting and reviewing of applications. It's not "free money."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I persoannly have moved from "submit anything above 50%" to submit anything above 25". I'm a counselor. but I dont think I'd send anything below that unless very hooked

+1
I think this is the new correct advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I persoannly have moved from "submit anything above 50%" to submit anything above 25". I'm a counselor. but I dont think I'd send anything below that unless very hooked

Did you have a number of kids applying test optional rejected?

yes, but I have a group of students who aim very high. rejection comes with that. but as these 50% numbers tick higher, leaving a 1520 undisclosed is feeling foolish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I persoannly have moved from "submit anything above 50%" to submit anything above 25". I'm a counselor. but I dont think I'd send anything below that unless very hooked

Did you have a number of kids applying test optional rejected?

yes, but I have a group of students who aim very high. rejection comes with that. but as these 50% numbers tick higher, leaving a 1520 undisclosed is feeling foolish.

agree. and it's all relative. a 1530 at an ivy may be = to a 1440 at another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I persoannly have moved from "submit anything above 50%" to submit anything above 25". I'm a counselor. but I dont think I'd send anything below that unless very hooked

Did you have a number of kids applying test optional rejected?

yes, but I have a group of students who aim very high. rejection comes with that. but as these 50% numbers tick higher, leaving a 1520 undisclosed is feeling foolish.

agree. and it's all relative. a 1530 at an ivy may be = to a 1440 at another school.

yes, agree.