Test optional is total BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree. And there are plenty of free resources for studying now if a student is motivated. Scores might not indicate everything, but they sure as heck indicate enough to make them worthwhile.

This is true.

I am convinced SATs are more equitable than stacking up impressive electives and writing flawless essays. The money being poured into college apps and college consulting is jaw dropping.

But SATs - which you can prep for with Khan and gobs of free resources - are bring eliminated. Hmm. Wonder why?

Because it helps dumb rich kids get in!!!

[Anonymous]

My kid got a 36 superscore…
Took it 3x

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate TO because it inflates all the scores they are submitted so you’re not sure whether a 1480 is actually a good score. Sure. It’s not a great score when only 50% or less are submitting scores.

Me, too.

I prefer test definite or test blind. Optional is really confusing for the applicants.

[Anonymous]

Forget college if you can't even handle SAT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fully agreed

Respect to Georgetown for not following suit

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree. And there are plenty of free resources for studying now if a student is motivated. Scores might not indicate everything, but they sure as heck indicate enough to make them worthwhile.

This is true.

I am convinced SATs are more equitable than stacking up impressive electives and writing flawless essays. The money being poured into college apps and college consulting is jaw dropping.

But SATs - which you can prep for with Khan and gobs of free resources - are bring eliminated. Hmm. Wonder why?

Because it helps dumb rich kids get in!!!

You know the DCUM crowd doesn't use Khan Academy. Thousands of dollars are spent on test prep and tutoring. Then taking the test 2-3 times for superscoriing.

Stop it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am reading so many posts about kids with amazing GPAs and mediocre SAT/ACT scores. In this day and age of hugely inflated GPAs it makes more sense to me me that schools would require standardized test scores to at least see how these kids perform under that sort of pressure. College is not for the faint of heart (at least not at the top 20) and kids that can’t “cut it” with decent standardized scores really are doing themselves a disservice by attending and then not performing well on the exams and evaluations. So many people saying “Billy has a 5.0 GPA and all As and 10,000 AP classes but got a 1200 on the SAT…. Should we submit that to Stanford?” It’s driving me nuts. Not to mention that the only kids submitting scores are the ones who knock it out of the park which in turn just raises the average scores of those admitted. It’s a vicious cycle.

Well, your comments are predicted on your belief that SAT scores are indicative of intelligence and/or doing well under pressure. Others believe SAT scores are more indicative of family income (i.e. ability to afford test prep; better quality schools, etc.) or simply test-taking ability (some people who are intelligent suck at test taking). That said, SAT’s are not necessarily a predictor or college success, and I think your belief about “grade inflation” is overblown. My DD did not do test prep for the SAT and got a 1350 on it. She did not wish to re-take the test because she had other things to do. Since the SAT average at her school wears high, she chose to go TO because, compared to her peers, she was below average. That said, she had a high gpa and got 5s on her hardest (i.e. STEM) AP exams. Do you believe APs are inflated, too? If so, then why not SATs? FWIW, she’s rockin’ college right now, so that supposed grade inflation is moot.

Blah blah blah.

SAT scores reflect family income... because family income reflects intelligence and doing well under pressure, and therefore SAT score reflects intelligence and doing well under pressure.

SAT scores are the strongest predictor of college success that we have.

No more than essays cultivated and written by essay coaches for hire. Our neighbor had two college girls home on break write his essays for him. The thing about essays are you never know who write them. And people pay thousands of dollars for essay services.

At least with standardized testing, you need an ID and ticket and it’s incredibly hard to cheat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree. And there are plenty of free resources for studying now if a student is motivated. Scores might not indicate everything, but they sure as heck indicate enough to make them worthwhile.

This is true.

I am convinced SATs are more equitable than stacking up impressive electives and writing flawless essays. The money being poured into college apps and college consulting is jaw dropping.

But SATs - which you can prep for with Khan and gobs of free resources - are bring eliminated. Hmm. Wonder why?

Because it helps dumb rich kids get in!!!

You know the DCUM crowd doesn't use Khan Academy. Thousands of dollars are spent on test prep and tutoring. Then taking the test 2-3 times for superscoriing.

Stop it.

Georgetown requires reporting of all scores. You can see who took it only once or twice vs 8 times.

For ACT on the schools with common app., you can’t superscore the reported total composite number. You report the highest composite in single sitting with date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a 36 superscore…
Took it 3x

He had to report highest composite in a single sitting. Not the superscore on common app.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forget college if you can't even handle SAT

Hmmm. I was about 80th percentile on the SAT. Top 5% of my college (a T20).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a 36 superscore…
Took it 3x

He had to report highest composite in a single sitting. Not the superscore on common app.

You can report superscore to individual schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree. And there are plenty of free resources for studying now if a student is motivated. Scores might not indicate everything, but they sure as heck indicate enough to make them worthwhile.

+1. Khan Academy is free. It’s so disingenuous to say only rich people can do well on tests. There are many stories of kids in lower income areas who did extremely on standardized tests and were able to access great colleges because of that when their gpa at their high school wouldn’t have gotten them noticed.

[Anonymous]

With grade inflation meaning everyone has a 4.4 or higher TO will be gone for most schools within 2 years. CA system, Ivies and a few schools will remain TO.

[Anonymous]

I am 100% for standardized tests. GPA can be inflated way more than what test prep can do for the average student.

But as you see, OP, the people have been successfully brainwashed into believing that testing benefits the rich tremendously and is therefore BAD. All the while entirely forgetting that it's not by many points, since a student can only go so far as their intellectual potential, and that most public schools, and some privates, have rampant grade inflation going on.

Just navigate your own kid's college admissions system as best you can. It's no use fighting about this online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you know that the percentage of students earning a 36 on the ACT is 17x higher today than 20 years ago? If grade inflation is such a problem, than this is, too.

https://www.applerouth.com/blog/2017/12/12/a-concerning-trend-continues-more-students-getting-perfect-36s-on-act/

GPA inflation: In 2023, it's not uncommon to have 10% or more of a graduating class with a 4.00 U/W GPAs.

ACT inflation: Even at 17x (or even 20 - 30x in 2023, prospectively), an ACT score of 36 is achieved by around 1/2 of 1% of test takers. A 36 in one-and-done fashion? Probably 1/8th of 1% of test takers.

0.100 vs. 0.001 ... now do you understand the absurdity of the comparison?