Princeton and test optional

[Anonymous]

Listened to Dartmouth Dean’s (Lee Coffin) new Admissions Beat today. He had the Princeton Dean of Admissions on - she said TO is actually really TO…but then, seemed to imply if you are engineering, though, the math score may be important?
Double standard for test scores depending on major?

Anyone seemed newsworthy.


“Princeton, advice to your test optional applicants?

Well, the first thing I would say is that when a school says it's test optional, you should believe them and recognize that you're not going to be at a disadvantage if you do not submit testing. I think the challenge with looking at sort of the average or the middle 50 percent, right, is that those are all skewing higher at schools that are still test optional because students who have high testing are the ones who are submitting and that's where that middle 50 percent is drawing from. My advice is, particularly if you are looking at a heavily quantitative major, so our engineers, for example, if you are feeling good about that testing, especially the math testing is something that we would likely want to see.

Some of it boils down to thinking ahead about what you tell us you're interested in, and how you're feeling about those scores, and then really having a conversation with your school counselor.”

From Admissions Beat: Seniors, It’s Time to Pivot from Discovery to Applying!, Sep 9, 2025

[Anonymous]

This reads to me as “you need to trust if schools say they are test optional, except for us where we’d like to see good test scores”

[Anonymous]

Know 3 humanities kids (private HS) last 2 years who got into Princeton test optional. 1 URM; other 2 ORM.

[Anonymous]

I think she means that if you’re applying in a quantitative field you should send good scores even if they’re below the median. So if Princeton is reporting a 1500-1580 range, and you scored 1490 with an 800 math, and you’re applying in a quantitative field, you should send that score.

[Anonymous]

Strange that Princeton is still test optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Strange that Princeton is still test optional.

Not really. According to that freshman survey, it’s largely for athletes. And test optional works differently for recruited athletes because they often need to show the score to the coach, but then apply TO to the university. So they could have a situation where the coaches are confirming that everyone has some minimum score, but the school profile is unsullied.

[Anonymous]

You better have a really good score if you’re interested in engineering. She can’t be more straightforward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think she means that if you’re applying in a quantitative field you should send good scores even if they’re below the median. So if Princeton is reporting a 1500-1580 range, and you scored 1490 with an 800 math, and you’re applying in a quantitative field, you should send that score.

Yes. This is what she’s saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You better have a really good score if you’re interested in engineering. She can’t be more straightforward.

But not for other majors??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You better have a really good score if you’re interested in engineering. She can’t be more straightforward.

But not for other majors??

I would assume in general you need a good score for about every major, but she mentioned engineering in particular. Don’t think you can say—not for other majors. That’s not the takeaway

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Strange that Princeton is still test optional.

Not really. According to that freshman survey, it’s largely for athletes. And test optional works differently for recruited athletes because they often need to show the score to the coach, but then apply TO to the university. So they could have a situation where the coaches are confirming that everyone has some minimum score, but the school profile is unsullied.

Would expect this from a school farther down the rankings tbh.

[Anonymous]

Princeton is likely going back to test required for fall of 2027 according to their admission presentation, they may be more test preferred this year than previously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Princeton is likely going back to test required for fall of 2027 according to their admission presentation, they may be more test preferred this year than previously.

Nope. Princeton's not going back. Princeton loves TO because it makes admissions a black box and serves their goals of more urm/first gen/low income students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Princeton is likely going back to test required for fall of 2027 according to their admission presentation, they may be more test preferred this year than previously.

Nope. Princeton's not going back. Princeton loves TO because it makes admissions a black box and serves their goals of more urm/first gen/low income students.

Yes that’s what our private CCO said too.

[Anonymous]

all missing the point - it’s for athletic admits