When is the standardized craze gonna hit the LACs?

[Anonymous]

Just genuinely interested in everyone’s thoughts. It’s surprising that Mudd, Swat, and Carleton are still test optional while remaining very rigorous. Also interesting that Williams, Amherst, Pomona haven’t seemed to consider test scores.

[Anonymous]

Probably soon. Once Williams or Amherst makes a move, others will quickly go back. I don't see Amherst doing this anytime soon, since they're struggling to get their diversity numbers back up and want to get them higher. I really doubt Pomona or any west coast LAC would make such a move.

[Anonymous]

It’s surprising that Mudd, Swat, and Carleton are still test optional while remaining very rigorous

What about it? There's no direct correlation between rigor and the SAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It’s surprising that Mudd, Swat, and Carleton are still test optional while remaining very rigorous

What about it? There's no direct correlation between rigor and the SAT.

Of course there is; there always has been

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably soon. Once Williams or Amherst makes a move, others will quickly go back. I don't see Amherst doing this anytime soon, since they're struggling to get their diversity numbers back up and want to get them higher. I really doubt Pomona or any west coast LAC would make such a move.

Struggling to get diversity numbers up? You should see the class of 2029 at Amherst. Last year was a blip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably soon. Once Williams or Amherst makes a move, others will quickly go back. I don't see Amherst doing this anytime soon, since they're struggling to get their diversity numbers back up and want to get them higher. I really doubt Pomona or any west coast LAC would make such a move.

Struggling to get diversity numbers up? You should see the class of 2029 at Amherst. Last year was a blip.

+1
Everyone knows you need to submit test scores if you’re not an institutional priority. My kid did.

[Anonymous]

Standardized craze?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Standardized craze?

I assume OP is exaggerating about the soft trend of a return to test-required.

[Anonymous]

CMC will be test required 2027.

[Anonymous]

Test Optional is for submitting an Application. Doesn't mean admission is guaranteed..

[Anonymous]

We recently toured Carleton, and the admissions rep said that they were planning on remaining TO because their own data did not indicate a difference in college performance between students who submitted test scores and those who did not. That being said, they did require my potential athletic recruit to provide his score for the pre-read process.

[Anonymous]

Only 5% of schools require test scores (see page 7 of this report from Common App):

https://www.commonapp.org/files/DAR/deadline-updates/Common-App-End-of-Season-Report_24-25.pdf

The schools that have returned to TO are a subset of the most highly selective national universities, and even then something like half of the top 25 are still TO.

And remember that some of the LACs were TO before covid (e.g. Bowdoin, Wesleyan, Bates).

I would not assume any big swing back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only 5% of schools require test scores (see page 7 of this report from Common App):

https://www.commonapp.org/files/DAR/deadline-updates/Common-App-End-of-Season-Report_24-25.pdf

The schools that have returned to test required are a subset of the most highly selective national universities, and even then something like half of the top 25 are still TO.

And remember that some of the LACs were TO before covid (e.g. Bowdoin, Wesleyan, Bates).

I would not assume any big swing back.

^^^correction in bold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CMC will be test required 2027.

Mudd too

[Anonymous]

A lot of LACs were already TO before more colleges adopted that approach during the pandemic. Many will not return to test required as they’d already made the transition.