Is it me or are test scores now more important than ever?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the last time, the private T25 schools that accept the most number of TO students - of any background, are:

WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell

And further down:
Wake
Tulane

This list is a few short:


WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell
UChicago
USC

And further down:
Wake
TulanE
Northeastern

Hope this will be helpful to others next year. Especially those with higher GPA than test scores.

Private college counselors keep this type of data close to the vest, but it’s actually really easy to find if you look at the schools CDS.

Add:
Swarthmore
Amherst
Williams
Carnegie Mellon

Next tier:
SMU
BU
Villanova
Tufts
Pepperdine

Which schools are the reverse? Take kids with “lower” gpas (think 3.6 unweighted) who have rigor (like 12 AP type) and high scores like 99 percentile? How to find this info out?

Yes, this is what I suspect a lot of parents and students want to know.

These are the students whose extremely high test scores were more than sufficient to offset their non-extremely high GPAs in the past.

Now, it's apparently acceptable at Top 25 colleges and universities to have a 4.00 UGPA with 7 AP classes (mixture of 3s, 4s, and 5s on tests) and submit test optional, but not OK at these same institutions to have a 3.6 with 14 AP (mixture of 4s and 5s, or all 5s, on tests) and a 1600 on the SAT. What a bizarre system we're working with today ...

I agree, but it’s the world we live in. Can’t fight it.

So kids who are poor test takers but have high GPAs benefit for now.

I assume it will swing back in two or three years

Meritocracy is dead. Next stop will be kids who are poor test takers AND have low GPAs from worst schools will benefit most.

Don't be stupid. Colleges have learned that SAT/ACT is not the best indicator of success, so they don't require it. Many schools were headed that way well before covid hit. Covid just accelerated it.
Just because your kid scores high on the SAT due to test prep and you believe it to be the best indicator does not make it so.

Ummm. No. Actually you are incorrect. The Presidents of Yale, Dartmouth and Brown just completed 4 year studies on their students that opted not to send in scores and they are statistically much, MUCH likely to be on academic probation and/or struggling. The data is there and it is across ALL RACES, WEALTH BRACKETS AND HS---scores are the best indicator over GPA, etc.

A shift is starting to happen and a lot of T10 schools are Test Optional --meaning you don't have to submit scores---but they have become "Test Aware' meaning that they are going to start valuing students that show a more complete record--scores and GPA, particularly among students from wealthier and MC areas. TO can still be used for them to pull in students they want for other reasons--race, athlete, etc., but don't be surprised if you see the shift this year or coming years.

[Anonymous]

Kind of akin to the shift of private schools away from AP classes and exams-and now many are bringing them back…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the last time, the private T25 schools that accept the most number of TO students - of any background, are:

WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell

And further down:
Wake
Tulane

This list is a few short:


WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell
UChicago
USC

And further down:
Wake
TulanE
Northeastern

Hope this will be helpful to others next year. Especially those with higher GPA than test scores.

Private college counselors keep this type of data close to the vest, but it’s actually really easy to find if you look at the schools CDS.

Add:
Swarthmore
Amherst
Williams
Carnegie Mellon

Next tier:
SMU
BU
Villanova
Tufts
Pepperdine

Which schools are the reverse? Take kids with “lower” gpas (think 3.6 unweighted) who have rigor (like 12 AP type) and high scores like 99 percentile? How to find this info out?

Yes, this is what I suspect a lot of parents and students want to know.

These are the students whose extremely high test scores were more than sufficient to offset their non-extremely high GPAs in the past.

Now, it's apparently acceptable at Top 25 colleges and universities to have a 4.00 UGPA with 7 AP classes (mixture of 3s, 4s, and 5s on tests) and submit test optional, but not OK at these same institutions to have a 3.6 with 14 AP (mixture of 4s and 5s, or all 5s, on tests) and a 1600 on the SAT. What a bizarre system we're working with today ...

I agree, but it’s the world we live in. Can’t fight it.

So kids who are poor test takers but have high GPAs benefit for now.

I assume it will swing back in two or three years

Meritocracy is dead. Next stop will be kids who are poor test takers AND have low GPAs from worst schools will benefit most.

Oh, brother. Quit pushing nonsense. There are several data points for merit: grades, rigor, test scores, ap/ib, scores, writing, recs, awards, ECs. GPA and test scores are a great start, but alone, are not enough.

Agree with everything but ECs. Those don’t signal merit, they signal wealth.