Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

[Anonymous]

TO is starting to fall out of favor.

Even the “easy” schools are starting to reinstate it (Bama will now require test scores unless the applicant has a certain GPA).

[Anonymous]

Liberal arts colleges. Those are truly TO.

[Anonymous]

non-DMV parochial school

Tulane (Spring Scholars)
American
Indiana
Maryland OOS
Wisconsin OOS
CU-Boulder
Michigan (deferred)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at naviance reports for my school, lots of kids got into colleges EA with SAT scores below 1000. Seeing schools like Catholic University, George Mason, St Marys of Maryland, Georgetown, Indiana, Michigan St, Rutgers, Oregon St

You mean they got into GMU test optional with a score below 1000, right? Because GMU is a 1360 at the 75th percentile; a 1260 at the median and the bottom 25th had a 1180, so getting in with below 1000 is unlikely. https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?enrollment&rdReport=Enrollment.B10_FreshmanProfile

Someone accepted into Geogetown (which doesn't do test optional) with an SAT score below 1000 must be a basketball player, child of a billionaire, or child of a head of state.

[Anonymous]

FCPS kid- depend on school, major is bio, public health, health science, or dual-degree BS/physician assistant.

In test optional at:

Fordham
Northeastern
Pitt
Dayton
Loyola Maryland
Duquesne
Seton Hall
Hofstra
Mary Washington

Deferred at Case Western.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TO is starting to fall out of favor.

Even the “easy” schools are starting to reinstate it (Bama will now require test scores unless the applicant has a certain GPA).

I know the NoVa mafia wants this to be true, but it’s not really. While it may be true that some of the schools that dominate the discussion on this board are moving away from TO, there are many, many schools
That remain TO. It’s also not true that all TO schools are not really TO. A school’s CDS will provide info on how many students were admitted TO. That percentage will give you an idea of how comfortable they are with TO applicants. Funny how you jags rarely even reference the CDS anymore. Just out here pontificating based on vibes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TO is starting to fall out of favor.

Even the “easy” schools are starting to reinstate it (Bama will now require test scores unless the applicant has a certain GPA).

But, in my opinion, neither GPA nor test score works without the other. MOST kids who get through truly rigorous courses with a 4.0 (or more) should also be able to get a reasonable score on a standardized test.

So not requiring test scores for high GPA kids, in the era of grade inflation and lowered expectations, may make the problem (again, in my opinion) worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at naviance reports for my school, lots of kids got into colleges EA with SAT scores below 1000. Seeing schools like Catholic University, George Mason, St Marys of Maryland, Georgetown, Indiana, Michigan St, Rutgers, Oregon St

You mean they got into GMU test optional with a score below 1000, right? Because GMU is a 1360 at the 75th percentile; a 1260 at the median and the bottom 25th had a 1180, so getting in with below 1000 is unlikely. https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?enrollment&rdReport=Enrollment.B10_FreshmanProfile

Someone accepted into Geogetown (which doesn't do test optional) with an SAT score below 1000 must be a basketball player, child of a billionaire, or child of a head of state.

That student actually had no SAT on file. So they had nothing to submit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TO is starting to fall out of favor.

Even the “easy” schools are starting to reinstate it (Bama will now require test scores unless the applicant has a certain GPA).

But, in my opinion, neither GPA nor test score works without the other. MOST kids who get through truly rigorous courses with a 4.0 (or more) should also be able to get a reasonable score on a standardized test.

So not requiring test scores for high GPA kids, in the era of grade inflation and lowered expectations, may make the problem (again, in my opinion) worse.

I don’t disagree, pp.

But my kid had a 3.75 UW GPA from mcps and got a subpar SAT score despite prepping.

He is doing fine in a state flagship, earning 3 As and 3 Bs his first semester (rushing was definitely a big distraction).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at naviance reports for my school, lots of kids got into colleges EA with SAT scores below 1000. Seeing schools like Catholic University, George Mason, St Marys of Maryland, Georgetown, Indiana, Michigan St, Rutgers, Oregon St

You mean they got into GMU test optional with a score below 1000, right? Because GMU is a 1360 at the 75th percentile; a 1260 at the median and the bottom 25th had a 1180, so getting in with below 1000 is unlikely. https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?enrollment&rdReport=Enrollment.B10_FreshmanProfile

Someone accepted into Geogetown (which doesn't do test optional) with an SAT score below 1000 must be a basketball player, child of a billionaire, or child of a head of state.

That student actually had no SAT on file. So they had nothing to submit

Georgetown is test required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at naviance reports for my school, lots of kids got into colleges EA with SAT scores below 1000. Seeing schools like Catholic University, George Mason, St Marys of Maryland, Georgetown, Indiana, Michigan St, Rutgers, Oregon St

You mean they got into GMU test optional with a score below 1000, right? Because GMU is a 1360 at the 75th percentile; a 1260 at the median and the bottom 25th had a 1180, so getting in with below 1000 is unlikely. https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?enrollment&rdReport=Enrollment.B10_FreshmanProfile

Someone accepted into Geogetown (which doesn't do test optional) with an SAT score below 1000 must be a basketball player, child of a billionaire, or child of a head of state.

That student actually had no SAT on file. So they had nothing to submit

Georgetown is test required.

I am looking at my school level admin naviance reports and this student has a Highest SAT score of zero and was accepted to Georgetown University EA. Also only took 15 Honors/AP classes in high school

[Anonymous]

In at U-Wisconsin-Madison OOS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at naviance reports for my school, lots of kids got into colleges EA with SAT scores below 1000. Seeing schools like Catholic University, George Mason, St Marys of Maryland, Georgetown, Indiana, Michigan St, Rutgers, Oregon St

You mean they got into GMU test optional with a score below 1000, right? Because GMU is a 1360 at the 75th percentile; a 1260 at the median and the bottom 25th had a 1180, so getting in with below 1000 is unlikely. https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?enrollment&rdReport=Enrollment.B10_FreshmanProfile

Someone accepted into Geogetown (which doesn't do test optional) with an SAT score below 1000 must be a basketball player, child of a billionaire, or child of a head of state.

That student actually had no SAT on file. So they had nothing to submit

Georgetown is test required.

I am looking at my school level admin naviance reports and this student has a Highest SAT score of zero and was accepted to Georgetown University EA. Also only took 15 Honors/AP classes in high school

So? Georgetown is test required. Occam’s razor says your Naviance data is incomplete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking at naviance reports for my school, lots of kids got into colleges EA with SAT scores below 1000. Seeing schools like Catholic University, George Mason, St Marys of Maryland, Georgetown, Indiana, Michigan St, Rutgers, Oregon St

What is “lots” of kids?
Because I am definitely not seeing “lots”. I am seeing a small number of schools in our scattergrams that had a max of 1 kid accepted with a low SAT. I assume they play football.

[Anonymous]

My friend’s daughter got in TO to Tulane ED. I think she took the SAT like 5 times and couldn’t get over 1350-60.

Friend’s annoyed they wasted so much time and money on test prep and SAT fees.