Brown reinstating SATs/ACT requirements

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn announced TO for next cycle 2024-25

I don’t think so, do you have a cite?

They still haven’t announced their official policy for next year.

Not true--here is the announcement: https://admissions.upenn.edu/blog/testing-2024-25-admissions-cycle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Senior kicked butt on standardized tests...of course, it's the year after him they come back.

Same here, but his grades were mediocre. Based on his outcomes, I think colleges have already started implementing Test-preferred policies.

I am so annoyed by these uninformed posts. You have no understanding of why they are reinstating. It's not so kids who "kick butt" on standardized tests can get in over others who people like you perceive of unworthy because they have a lower score. It's so people who do really well (1350+) submit their scores and show schools that they are capable of doing the work, despite a crappy education. This is not to let more 1600 students over potential 1400 students. Those of you with the high scores are actually at an even great disadvantage with test required. I can't believe how obtuse you all are to not understand this.

That's also simplistic. I think the test requirement will likely help two groups - (1) students from underprivileged schools/backgrounds who score relatively high (but not in the 35+/1500+ range), especially compared to the average score at their school and (2) students with a privileged background (private school, socioeconomic status) who score extremely high but were competing with TO privileged applicants from their own school.

This. The rich white kids were never competing agains the URM/first generation kids in the first place. Tests allow the admissions officers to find the most capable out of groups 1 *and* 2.

[Anonymous]

Those schools that require test scores will have better data to evaluate students and eventually that will help them raise their academic profiles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Senior kicked butt on standardized tests...of course, it's the year after him they come back.

my now freshman DC had amazing SAT scores, but a lot of colleges were TO. Bad luck of the draw.

Is that why they think they didn't get in some places? If so, you should be sure they at least understand that it wasn't the only reason.

I suspect pp's kid understands that test required would not have made their application a slam dunk, but if 1/3 to 1/2 of the class was admitted test optional and they wouldn't even have made the first cut under test required, the odds of the people like op's kid that were left in the pool go up.

[Anonymous]

It’s also the increased volume of applications. Students are applying to top schools who didn’t apply when Test scores were required. The volume of apps has gone through the roof and AO’s can’t discern between the apps with limited information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Senior kicked butt on standardized tests...of course, it's the year after him they come back.

my now freshman DC had amazing SAT scores, but a lot of colleges were TO. Bad luck of the draw.

Is that why they think they didn't get in some places? If so, you should be sure they at least understand that it wasn't the only reason.

I suspect pp's kid understands that test required would not have made their application a slam dunk, but if 1/3 to 1/2 of the class was admitted test optional and they wouldn't even have made the first cut under test required, the odds of the people like op's kid that were left in the pool go up.

This, applications have gone up roughly 20 percent per year, for the past three years. I had a 2023 grad with high scores from a rigorous private who definitely would have gotten more acceptances in the test required world. Fortunately, she is happy where she landed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:colleges will start making announcements for class of 2026 soon to give current sophomores plenty of time to prep.

Current juniors will be the last class to have real test optional options.

Brown and Dartmouth are implementing them for class of 2029 (currently juniors)...no options there. At least Yale offers flexibility on the types of tests accepted.

HS class of 2025 should be exempted from these requirements giving the timing of the announcements.

That's silly. Surely kids (and parents, and counselors) knew that schools were reviewing the policies and considering going back to test-required. Anyway, March-August before senior year is a fine and traditional time to take the exam. (Really, are there kids who never even take the exams because of TO policies? I assumed almost all took the exams and decided not to submit based on lower-than-hoped-for scores.)

Your kid has over 7 months to take the test even if class of 2025. Some even take October of senior year.

Come on--they obviously took it once and did bad. Or took a mock at their school and figured they would have to do too much 'work' and studying to raise some points.

We already know that. Virtually every kid in the DMV takes it at least once. Every HS in the DMV suggests this. My kid is a sophomore and their school already provided free mock ACT and mock SATs.

IF they kid didn't ---well---they already weeded themselves out.

This! Every parent here fighting for TO with pretend reasons really does have a kid who didn't do well in the tests. A good number of them are spending multiple hundreds an hour to get that score to go up to that magic 1350 number. Of course, they'd all like for the SATs to disappear

Wow you know what EVERY parent is thinking? What a skill!

No, that's not what every parent is thinking. We only ever planned to take the SAT if the schools targeting it required it. Luckily, as of right now, none do. We also never took a "mock" test b/c the test would have been paper when we did so and the actual test digital (different tests).

We simply chose not to spend the time or money on these tests unless we had to.

No PSAT?

PSAT isn’t a mock exam. But yes. Dc took psat and did well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to podcasts , you knew Brown was going to do this two months ago.

There are no other T20 schools that have indicated that they are planning to do this (as of yet).

Princton? Emory? Georgetown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to podcasts , you knew Brown was going to do this two months ago.

There are no other T20 schools that have indicated that they are planning to do this (as of yet).

Princton? Emory? Georgetown?

Georgetown was ALWAYS test required. All sittings required

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to podcasts , you knew Brown was going to do this two months ago.

There are no other T20 schools that have indicated that they are planning to do this (as of yet).

Princton? Emory? Georgetown?

Emory is TO for the next application cycle. Princeton is TO thru fall 2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to podcasts , you knew Brown was going to do this two months ago.

There are no other T20 schools that have indicated that they are planning to do this (as of yet).

Princton? Emory? Georgetown?

Emory is TO for the next application cycle. Princeton is TO thru fall 2025.

Yes but they indicated they will return to test required, especially Emory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:colleges will start making announcements for class of 2026 soon to give current sophomores plenty of time to prep.

Current juniors will be the last class to have real test optional options.

Brown and Dartmouth are implementing them for class of 2029 (currently juniors)...no options there. At least Yale offers flexibility on the types of tests accepted.

HS class of 2025 should be exempted from these requirements giving the timing of the announcements.

That's silly. Surely kids (and parents, and counselors) knew that schools were reviewing the policies and considering going back to test-required. Anyway, March-August before senior year is a fine and traditional time to take the exam. (Really, are there kids who never even take the exams because of TO policies? I assumed almost all took the exams and decided not to submit based on lower-than-hoped-for scores.)

Your kid has over 7 months to take the test even if class of 2025. Some even take October of senior year.

Come on--they obviously took it once and did bad. Or took a mock at their school and figured they would have to do too much 'work' and studying to raise some points.

We already know that. Virtually every kid in the DMV takes it at least once. Every HS in the DMV suggests this. My kid is a sophomore and their school already provided free mock ACT and mock SATs.

IF they kid didn't ---well---they already weeded themselves out.

This! Every parent here fighting for TO with pretend reasons really does have a kid who didn't do well in the tests. A good number of them are spending multiple hundreds an hour to get that score to go up to that magic 1350 number. Of course, they'd all like for the SATs to disappear

Wow you know what EVERY parent is thinking? What a skill!

No, that's not what every parent is thinking. We only ever planned to take the SAT if the schools targeting it required it. Luckily, as of right now, none do. We also never took a "mock" test b/c the test would have been paper when we did so and the actual test digital (different tests).

We simply chose not to spend the time or money on these tests unless we had to.

Are you in California or something? This seems like an odd approach for someone aiming for Brown. I haven’t heard of a single one of my DC’s friends that didn’t take the test at least twice. We are in the DMV.

Not aiming for Brown so not sure where you're getting that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:colleges will start making announcements for class of 2026 soon to give current sophomores plenty of time to prep.

Current juniors will be the last class to have real test optional options.

Brown and Dartmouth are implementing them for class of 2029 (currently juniors)...no options there. At least Yale offers flexibility on the types of tests accepted.

HS class of 2025 should be exempted from these requirements giving the timing of the announcements.

That's silly. Surely kids (and parents, and counselors) knew that schools were reviewing the policies and considering going back to test-required. Anyway, March-August before senior year is a fine and traditional time to take the exam. (Really, are there kids who never even take the exams because of TO policies? I assumed almost all took the exams and decided not to submit based on lower-than-hoped-for scores.)

Your kid has over 7 months to take the test even if class of 2025. Some even take October of senior year.

Come on--they obviously took it once and did bad. Or took a mock at their school and figured they would have to do too much 'work' and studying to raise some points.

We already know that. Virtually every kid in the DMV takes it at least once. Every HS in the DMV suggests this. My kid is a sophomore and their school already provided free mock ACT and mock SATs.

IF they kid didn't ---well---they already weeded themselves out.

This! Every parent here fighting for TO with pretend reasons really does have a kid who didn't do well in the tests. A good number of them are spending multiple hundreds an hour to get that score to go up to that magic 1350 number. Of course, they'd all like for the SATs to disappear

Wow you know what EVERY parent is thinking? What a skill!

No, that's not what every parent is thinking. We only ever planned to take the SAT if the schools targeting it required it. Luckily, as of right now, none do. We also never took a "mock" test b/c the test would have been paper when we did so and the actual test digital (different tests).

We simply chose not to spend the time or money on these tests unless we had to.

Okay so now you have to. If you have these few schools on your list.

It doesn’t put you at a disadvantage. Kids did spend time on this and yours did not. That was a calculation you made and a chance you took. Now you need to pivot. You knew that was a possibility. GL!

What are you talking about? Why am I pivoting? What is a possibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the email:

Brown will continue to offer its Early Decision option, which is attractive to prospective students and has contributed to efforts to enroll an undergraduate class that is both highly qualified and diverse.

Starting with next year’s application cycle (effective for the Class of 2029), Brown will reinstate the requirement that applicants for first-year admission submit standardized tests scores (the SAT or ACT, except in the rare circumstance when these tests are not available to a student). This will accompany enhanced communications to students and school counselors emphasizing that test scores are interpreted in the context of a student’s background and educational opportunities.

Current practices for applicants with family connections — including “legacies” and children of faculty and staff — will remain unchanged while we continue to consider a range of complex questions raised by the committee and seek more input from our community.

Have no issue with them doing it but very later notification since most who are planning on taking it already signed up. No open slots by us testing unless you drive 2+ hours - (not CA) - would only have the potential August slot open- they have half the amount of locations they had in the past since not as many students are taking it.

Not a lot of time for kids to now study with AP tests etc.

People take these tests in senior year all the time. That is the norm in this country. Not too late at all to sign up if you are in 11th now.

There are no Sat dates past June in our area - there is supposed to be one in August and then one sometime in October- kind of late when the common spoons in August and ED for brown is 11/1- you might not have your October score back before ED is due.

Pre covid the latest high performer kids took it in our area was May - and the August was only used if they were trying to study just one area to increase their super score. Most took SAT around same time as PSAT - would try and qualify for National Merit.

Registration for 2024-25 test dates (beginning with August) does not open until May/June.

Oct is in plenty of time for Brown ED. Scores are released 13 days after the test. The test is 10/5/24.

Do scores come back less than two weeks before you have to submit an ED decision. Not ideal - but I guess that is what some students will have to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Senior kicked butt on standardized tests...of course, it's the year after him they come back.

Same here, but his grades were mediocre. Based on his outcomes, I think colleges have already started implementing Test-preferred policies.

I am so annoyed by these uninformed posts. You have no understanding of why they are reinstating. It's not so kids who "kick butt" on standardized tests can get in over others who people like you perceive of unworthy because they have a lower score. It's so people who do really well (1350+) submit their scores and show schools that they are capable of doing the work, despite a crappy education. This is not to let more 1600 students over potential 1400 students. Those of you with the high scores are actually at an even great disadvantage with test required. I can't believe how obtuse you all are to not understand this.

That's also simplistic. I think the test requirement will likely help two groups - (1) students from underprivileged schools/backgrounds who score relatively high (but not in the 35+/1500+ range), especially compared to the average score at their school and (2) students with a privileged background (private school, socioeconomic status) who score extremely high but were competing with TO privileged applicants from their own school.

This. The rich white kids were never competing agains the URM/first generation kids in the first place. Tests allow the admissions officers to find the most capable out of groups 1 *and* 2.

1000%. Plus, it is annoying that people automatically think that great / exceptional SAT scores mean robotic kids sacrificing their social life with burdensome tutoring. Could there be cases where kids scored high and went through a standard SAT prep program affordable by most?