Submitting test scores

[Anonymous]

I would send them anyway. Colleges are going to assume the scores are horrible if you don’t sent it. It will provide more confidence to the admissions committee that your kid is capable of succeeding at the school if the rest of their application looks great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would send them anyway. Colleges are going to assume the scores are horrible if you don’t sent it. It will provide more confidence to the admissions committee that your kid is capable of succeeding at the school if the rest of their application looks great.

This is not true and depends on the college/school.

Possibly more true if public high school though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t submit. They don’t assume they are lower. It means it’s not a factor in their determination.

Are you sure? How do you know that? It just seems common sense to me that if a student, from an area where most kids submit scores, doesn't submit his/hers, then it means that the scores were low. They really need to do away with the TO thing so kids don't have to wonder.

Do not assume.

Example: my freshman kid at Duke from private HS did not submit 34 this year. No assumptions are made.

Said a Lot of other kids that looked like him didn’t submit either.

Don’t believe the ppl on this board. Ask around irl

But 34 is median at Duke and an objectively good score. Did you receive advice that you should not submit a 34?

Yes, it's a great score and my kid submitted it at many schools.
The issue was the scores at our HS for kids admitted to Duke over last few years were all 35/36 or TO. Counselor's suggestion was to apply TO due to the 1 other classmate who also ED to school with 35 and slightly better GPA/accolades (but different interests and major). My kid was deferred in ED and later accepted (while that classmate was accepted in ED). Another classmate applied and was accepted in RD. My kid also applied TO to another T10 school and was also accepted. Non-DMV private high school btw.

I'd ask your school's counselor for data rather than winging this.
It does depend on your HS, the College Board landscape document (which shows the avg test scores for that class), your rigor and most importantly, your in-school competition from other kids in the class (which many people forget about).

a lot more nuance here than expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t submit. They don’t assume they are lower. It means it’s not a factor in their determination.

Are you sure? How do you know that? It just seems common sense to me that if a student, from an area where most kids submit scores, doesn't submit his/hers, then it means that the scores were low. They really need to do away with the TO thing so kids don't have to wonder.

Do not assume.

Example: my freshman kid at Duke from private HS did not submit 34 this year. No assumptions are made.

Said a Lot of other kids that looked like him didn’t submit either.

Don’t believe the ppl on this board. Ask around irl

But 34 is median at Duke and an objectively good score. Did you receive advice that you should not submit a 34?

Yes, it's a great score and my kid submitted it at many schools.
The issue was the scores at our HS for kids admitted to Duke over last few years were all 35/36 or TO. Counselor's suggestion was to apply TO due to the 1 other classmate who also ED to school with 35 and slightly better GPA/accolades (but different interests and major). My kid was deferred in ED and later accepted (while that classmate was accepted in ED). Another classmate applied and was accepted in RD. My kid also applied TO to another T10 school and was also accepted. Non-DMV private high school btw.

I'd ask your school's counselor for data rather than winging this.
It does depend on your HS, the College Board landscape document (which shows the avg test scores for that class), your rigor and most importantly, your in-school competition from other kids in the class (which many people forget about).

a lot more nuance here than expected.

Yes, this is extremely helpful. Thank you for posting this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t submit. They don’t assume they are lower. It means it’s not a factor in their determination.

Are you sure? How do you know that? It just seems common sense to me that if a student, from an area where most kids submit scores, doesn't submit his/hers, then it means that the scores were low. They really need to do away with the TO thing so kids don't have to wonder.

Do not assume.

Example: my freshman kid at Duke from private HS did not submit 34 this year. No assumptions are made.

Said a Lot of other kids that looked like him didn’t submit either.

Don’t believe the ppl on this board. Ask around irl

But 34 is median at Duke and an objectively good score. Did you receive advice that you should not submit a 34?

Yes, it's a great score and my kid submitted it at many schools.
The issue was the scores at our HS for kids admitted to Duke over last few years were all 35/36 or TO. Counselor's suggestion was to apply TO due to the 1 other classmate who also ED to school with 35 and slightly better GPA/accolades (but different interests and major). My kid was deferred in ED and later accepted (while that classmate was accepted in ED). Another classmate applied and was accepted in RD. My kid also applied TO to another T10 school and was also accepted. Non-DMV private high school btw.

I'd ask your school's counselor for data rather than winging this.
It does depend on your HS, the College Board landscape document (which shows the avg test scores for that class), your rigor and most importantly, your in-school competition from other kids in the class (which many people forget about).

It is unethical for CCO to tell you who is applying ED from your school and the stats, legacy status, etc. is confidential. It isn’t like you can just ask this question.

[Anonymous]

going back to this and trying to figure out what to do with Duke this year for Test Optional and a 33. I think my kid can't submit.

I know they no longer give essays or test scores a numerical rating in the admissions review process. And 35% of ED admits from class of 2028 were TO (see quote in 1st article). I can't find the stat for RD. Does anyone know?

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2023/12/duke-university-early-decision-class-of-2028-lowest-record-acceptance-rate-increase-applications-admitted-north-carolina

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2024/03/duke-university-admissions-admits-record-low-4-1-regular-decision-applicants-class-of-2028-overall-acceptance-rate-5-1-early-decision-supreme-court-ruling-undergraduates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t submit. They don’t assume they are lower. It means it’s not a factor in their determination.

Are you sure? How do you know that? It just seems common sense to me that if a student, from an area where most kids submit scores, doesn't submit his/hers, then it means that the scores were low. They really need to do away with the TO thing so kids don't have to wonder.

Do not assume.

Example: my freshman kid at Duke from private HS did not submit 34 this year. No assumptions are made.

Said a Lot of other kids that looked like him didn’t submit either.

Don’t believe the ppl on this board. Ask around irl

But 34 is median at Duke and an objectively good score. Did you receive advice that you should not submit a 34?

Yes, it's a great score and my kid submitted it at many schools.
The issue was the scores at our HS for kids admitted to Duke over last few years were all 35/36 or TO. Counselor's suggestion was to apply TO due to the 1 other classmate who also ED to school with 35 and slightly better GPA/accolades (but different interests and major). My kid was deferred in ED and later accepted (while that classmate was accepted in ED). Another classmate applied and was accepted in RD. My kid also applied TO to another T10 school and was also accepted. Non-DMV private high school btw.

I'd ask your school's counselor for data rather than winging this.
It does depend on your HS, the College Board landscape document (which shows the avg test scores for that class), your rigor and most importantly, your in-school competition from other kids in the class (which many people forget about).

Your school counselor was actually helpful here. My kids go to a public school with over 100+ students for each counselor and our counselor would not know who else is applying ED. So great that your child got accepted to their first choice school (although the deferral must have been rough).

NP. My kids go to a public school where counselors have an even larger load, and they absolutely have this data. They track it. Do you have a dedicated college counselor at your school? Start there. Otherwise make nice with the regular counselors (who I agree can be unhelpful).

This is so false it's laughable. Our public school had no idea where the kids were going until the kids put in transcript requests, which is AFTER you want to have this conversation. Also, my DC is in a T25 and took a school-wide SAT, and did okay, but not great. However, knocked ACT out of park. It will show admittance at the lower SAT score, which is totally unreliable.