Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Business major. Got in at these schools as test optional during EA: Penn State Smeal, Indiana Kelley, Pitt, Clemson, UMD, Virginia Tech

What was the GPA?
TIA

[Anonymous]

All EA or rolling - 3.4 gpa, TO, received merit offers at all except Iowa ranging from $5K/year to $46K/year. Applied ED to a T30 SLAC and got in there (not listed).

Beloit College
Colorado State University
Furman University
Montana State University
Muhlenberg College
Oberlin College
Rhodes College
Trinity University
University of Denver
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh
University of Puget Sound
University of Vermont
Wheaton College, Massachusetts

[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

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.

Georgetown did not admit a single kid with a sub 1000 SAT.

For people looking at Scattergrams, important to remember that a 1000 could be a first attempt in 10th grade and the student then switched to ACT, prepped, and got a 35. Sometimes you can match up that gpa from the sat side to the Act side and see a very different score.

[Anonymous]

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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

I know a kid who got a 36 on the ACT first try so he never took the SAT making his highest SAT score 0.

He didn’t apply to Georgetown, as far as I know, but got into another competitive school that requires test scores.

My child was admitted to NYU, UVA and F&M with only 1 AP course that she didn’t send the score for and 3 Honours classes.

She applied TO. I don’t know the new review process but she clearly hit the lottery. Merit aid at all of the schools except for NYU.

What major?

First gen?

[Anonymous]

Son got direct admit to engineering for the following in EA and was TO and received merit at some of them: NJIT, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn State, Stevens, GMU, UMD. His girlfriend applied ED to UVA as TO and was admitted.

[Anonymous]

VT, JMU are the only ones this board will care about. She did TO for all schools. We do not live in VA.

[Anonymous]

3.4 DCPS TO

Penn State Smeal
Rutgers
VT
Indiana
JMU
UMASS
Temple
Drexel
LSU
Boulder
Loyola MD
Loyola New Orleans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD applying to smaller schools, competitive LACs. For reference, HHI just under $200k, excellent ECs and LORs, 3.9 uw GPA from a strong private school. Chose to go TO bc of her learning disabilities, made the intentional decision to focus on grades and ECs over test prep in her junior year. It’s infuriating when people equate high test scores with intelligence, and being “deserving” of a slot at a T20. Her older brother had a similar application profile, many of the same ECs but didn’t have the LD issue, 35 ACT and is currently at an Ivy. She’s just as smart as he is and it frustrates me when people online insinuate that TO applicants aren’t deserving of good acceptances. So far, in EA:
Oberlin $70k merit
Kenyon $75 merit
Brandeis $45 Presidential Scholarship
Several others to schools that DCUM won’t care about, but are still solid schools. Waiting for RD, most of those are only need-based aid. I’m proud of her, especially because we offered to pay for test prep last year and she made the choice to go TO.

I agree with you and nice options so far! Are the Kenyon and Oberlin merit amounts over 4 years?

My oldest child went TO two years ago and had some pretty nice options - even NESCAC schools like Wesleyan and Hamilton. '26 child got into her ED choice TO (W&M), but before she got that result back, she got acceptances to Pitt and Brandeis. I forget how much her Brandeis scholarship was - maybe around $40k?

[Anonymous]

VT

[Anonymous]

Looks like Penn State Smeal is a much much easier admit from OOS. A 3.4 would be a branch from our in state high school.

[Anonymous]

UMD EA, school counselor said not to submit below 1450.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Business major. Got in at these schools as test optional during EA: Penn State Smeal, Indiana Kelley, Pitt, Clemson, UMD, Virginia Tech

What was the GPA?
TIA

3.8 unweighted, 4.6 GPA. I truly think it was her HS rigor, essay, and ECs aligned to her major that helped. She also got great merit from Delaware, Miami of Ohio, and Michigan State.

[Anonymous]

DD got in TO at U. Mn, Va Tech, and Northeastern (but the spring admit program) for engineering. She had a 3.8uw/4.75w. Her SAT was 1380, and she submitted that score to other schools.

[Anonymous]

Any recent TO success stories in RD?

[Anonymous]

I posted earlier but can add Drexel from RD ($35,025 merit) and update that Case Western's deferral turned into a waitlist. Also, Dayton sent an email yesterday offering an additional scholarship so total merit is $40k...and I wish my child would consider that school.