Test optional success stories

[Anonymous]

Without naming schools, I recommend you read very closely what the school actually says about test optional. You can gather more than you think. Some schools are truly test optional and some had been before COVID. Other schools do give hints that they like to see tests (I.e., indicating that they benefit from ore data points). I would then focus on those schools that are true test optional.

[Anonymous]

Bumping this. Looking for TO feedback.

DD score won’t improve enough to submit and curious about other TO results in last cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this. Looking for TO feedback.

DD score won’t improve enough to submit and curious about other TO results in last cycle.

It’s going to be different this cycle, test aware is going to be the trend. The exception will be slacs and the schools that were test optional pre Covid.

[Anonymous]

Don’t rely on any. Landscape has changed. TO is now only for demographics of students they want or athletes.

Schools are all test aware even if they are TO now.

On that note- my unhooked high test score/all 5 AP exams got into three Ivies RD, Hopkins and several T 20s. There is zero chance he would have as a TO applicant. Most accepted kids submitted scores.

[Anonymous]

Listen directly to college admission officers. Obv the T10 and Ivies need test scores.

That’s not what we are talking about…..

Emory’s AO came out this month and said they truly are TO and don’t submit a score if it doesn’t help your app.

The remainder are below and almost every private school in the T50-100 range is of course TO. If you are applying to any of the below or those types of private colleges (or CA schools), full pay with strong GPA and a strong app, that’s great (its best to be from a rigorous private high school with a history of sending kids to that college if TO).

UChicago
WashU
Vanderbilt
USC
Cornell (certain colleges are test-blind for 2025 and then it changes )
Claremont McKenna /Pomona
NYU
BU
UMiami
Northeastern
Villanova
Middlebury
Wesleyan
BC
Lehigh
Case
Wake
Tufts
Tulane
Brandeis University
University of Rochester
Bates
Bowdoin
Colorado College
Dickinson
Emerson
Pitzer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question: for those top schools with a high proportion of TO that people keep talking about, how many of those TO kids are first gen, athletes, or otherwise hooked kids? I’m trying to figure out whether unhooked kids from the DMV really have a shot at these schools without submitting…

Ask your school.

We know quite a few unhooked white TO kids who were successful in T25 from our private this year.

This is why having posters outside DMV matters, if you aren’t in DC, you need to indicate. Also, you should just name the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t rely on any. Landscape has changed. TO is now only for demographics of students they want or athletes.

Schools are all test aware even if they are TO now.

On that note- my unhooked high test score/all 5 AP exams got into three Ivies RD, Hopkins and several T 20s. There is zero chance he would have as a TO applicant. Most accepted kids submitted scores.

One hundred percent this. Our private (kids go to two different school) and private college counselor all strongly encourage scores. If unhooked, I’d only submit test scores to the schools that were test optional pre covid, or if the scores are below bottom 25 percent of 2019 scores for a school.

[Anonymous]

I think test optional is going to be very different going forward so I wouldn't count on what worked in the last couple of years.

[Anonymous]

There are a few places (good list above) where it will work for this years ridding senior class.

But…..Look at all the problems people are having registering and getting test space. It’s kind of crazy. I suspect there will have to be some language written in the additional information section of your common app If you were unable to get an additional test scheduled prior to your early decision deadline. I’d expect a lot more people to be taking it even after their applications have been submitted.

For younger kids, they will have worked out these scheduling snafus. Testing will for sure be back most everywhere for current 9-11 grades. Start prep now.

[Anonymous]

Here’s a story on the scheduling/test center issues:

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/hard-to-take-the-sat-and-act

[Anonymous]

Depends on your high school and cohort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t rely on any. Landscape has changed. TO is now only for demographics of students they want or athletes.

Schools are all test aware even if they are TO now.

On that note- my unhooked high test score/all 5 AP exams got into three Ivies RD, Hopkins and several T 20s. There is zero chance he would have as a TO applicant. Most accepted kids submitted scores.

What was your kid's score?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a story on the scheduling/test center issues:

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/hard-to-take-the-sat-and-act

This is being overly dramatic. The rising senior class will have had 6 times to take the SAT in 2024 (plus an additional 3-4 times in fall of 2023!). There were plenty of seats all spring and early summer. It's only kids who have waited until the last possible minute that may have an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious how kids applying test optional fared so far this year. DS is a junior coming from a W school in MCPS. Likely not applying to top tier schools. Wondering how kids looking at T50-100+ schools did this year without submitting tests, particularly kids coming from top privates and W schools where my sense is that most kids submit. Not my first kid so I know there’s no crystal ball and I know every school is different, but first kid did submit scores so I’m just trying to get a sense of how things are playing out this year. Thanks for any insights!

Schools in this range include (not counting California schools):
NYU
BC
Tufts
BU
Lehigh
Wake
Case
Northeastern
Brandeis
Santa Clara
GW
Syracuse
U-Miami
Villanova
Tulane
Pepperdine
Fordham
SMU
LMU
TCU
U-SD
American

And almost everyone we know who applied TO in this range (T35-100) got into several of these private colleges (some w/merit). Some of them require more strategy than others depending on who else is applying from your school (BC/Tufts/Wake/Tulane)….but overall these private schools are all mostly really TO.

Too many people here think we are only talking about the top 10 or 15 schools…
Think bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s a story on the scheduling/test center issues:

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/hard-to-take-the-sat-and-act

This is being overly dramatic. The rising senior class will have had 6 times to take the SAT in 2024 (plus an additional 3-4 times in fall of 2023!). There were plenty of seats all spring and early summer. It's only kids who have waited until the last possible minute that may have an issue.

It’s a big issue in Illinois; also California. And I think Tri-state area.