Does Test Optional Really Mean Test Optional

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When colleges say they are test optional, they have to test optional for ALL kids. It would be discriminatory to say test optional applies only to one group of students but not another.

😂
Think we know that!

[Anonymous]

Yes. TO means TO.

Schools for you to save listed below. Check their CDS… for some schools it’s actually quite shocking how few kids are actually submitting scores and still getting in.
And notwithstanding the one poster on here, they are not all legacy, athletes, or URM. Many white and Asian kids get into these schools TO.
But the key is the rest of the application…high rigor/top grades; ECs; LOR etc (obv depending on school selectivity)…

T30:
WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell
UChicago
USC
Swarthmore
Amherst
Williams
Carnegie Mellon


And further down:
NYU
Wake
Tulane
Northeastern
SMU
BU
Villanova
Tufts
Pepperdine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have recently noticed that some schools, while remaining test optional, have a sentence on their websites stating that students should take the tests and submit the results "if they are able." Thoughts on what this means? It's concerning because with the test optional policies only kids with the highest scores are submitting. Is it crazy to apply without taking the test?

What is your kid’s profile?
What types of schools? Major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son has gotten into 6 schools EA, 2 deferred to RD, 1 rejection--all TO. Highest ranked school in the mid-40s.

TO is a real thing in schools ranked above 30. Very different for T20 schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. TO means TO.

Schools for you to save listed below. Check their CDS… for some schools it’s actually quite shocking how few kids are actually submitting scores and still getting in.
And notwithstanding the one poster on here, they are not all legacy, athletes, or URM. Many white and Asian kids get into these schools TO.
But the key is the rest of the application…high rigor/top grades; ECs; LOR etc (obv depending on school selectivity)…

T30:
WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell
UChicago
USC
Swarthmore
Amherst
Williams
Carnegie Mellon


And further down:
NYU
Wake
Tulane
Northeastern
SMU
BU
Villanova
Tufts
Pepperdine

For the first group, I think this only works if you have a pretty high GPA and a lot of rigor….maybe everyone knows that and I’m captain obvious ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. TO means TO.

Schools for you to save listed below. Check their CDS… for some schools it’s actually quite shocking how few kids are actually submitting scores and still getting in.
And notwithstanding the one poster on here, they are not all legacy, athletes, or URM. Many white and Asian kids get into these schools TO.
But the key is the rest of the application…high rigor/top grades; ECs; LOR etc (obv depending on school selectivity)…

T30:
WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell
UChicago
USC
Swarthmore
Amherst
Williams
Carnegie Mellon


And further down:
NYU
Wake
Tulane
Northeastern
SMU
BU
Villanova
Tufts
Pepperdine

For the first group, I think this only works if you have a pretty high GPA and a lot of rigor….maybe everyone knows that and I’m captain obvious ?

Yes, that’s the point. No test scores means more emphasis on other things—grades, rigor, ECs, teacher recs, essays.

[Anonymous]

At one school that DS was invited to invitation only visit events, the dean who spoke to the parents at the parent event told us that the website said test optional but no test optional applicants would be admitted this cycle.

I’m sure this varies widely depending on what school. Another school DS visited did not accept test scores from any applicants and this policy preceded Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. TO means TO.

Schools for you to save listed below. Check their CDS… for some schools it’s actually quite shocking how few kids are actually submitting scores and still getting in.
And notwithstanding the one poster on here, they are not all legacy, athletes, or URM. Many white and Asian kids get into these schools TO.
But the key is the rest of the application…high rigor/top grades; ECs; LOR etc (obv depending on school selectivity)…

T30:
WashU
Vanderbilt
Cornell
UChicago
USC
Swarthmore
Amherst
Williams
Carnegie Mellon


And further down:
NYU
Wake
Tulane
Northeastern
SMU
BU
Villanova
Tufts
Pepperdine

My TO kid got in ED to one of these schools at the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At one school that DS was invited to invitation only visit events, the dean who spoke to the parents at the parent event told us that the website said test optional but no test optional applicants would be admitted this cycle.

I’m sure this varies widely depending on what school. Another school DS visited did not accept test scores from any applicants and this policy preceded Covid.

Not true. A college dean wouldn't state something to a few parents that contradicts the college's website.

Name the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40% of Cornell is probably hooked if you add up legacy, first gen, URM, and athletic admits. A few years ago, 30% of the Harvard class was legacy.

40% of 15k undergrads? What?!?

You guys are insane. Do some research on what colleges at Cornell are TO before spewing this stupid stuff.

Exactly. People really really want TO not to be real.

Not as much as some people REALLY REALLY REALLY want standardized testing to never return!

The TO era has unleashed a tidal wave of applications from fresh faced 4.00 u/w students who test poorly, but only on Saturday mornings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40% of Cornell is probably hooked if you add up legacy, first gen, URM, and athletic admits. A few years ago, 30% of the Harvard class was legacy.

40% of 15k undergrads? What?!?

You guys are insane. Do some research on what colleges at Cornell are TO before spewing this stupid stuff.

Exactly. People really really want TO not to be real.

Not as much as some people REALLY REALLY REALLY want standardized testing to never return!

The TO era has unleashed a tidal wave of applications from fresh faced 4.00 u/w students who test poorly, but only on Saturday mornings.

TO is disliked by families that are okay with hard work and believe in fair treatment, not the new BS equity that favors some groups over others.

I don't understand folks that complain bitterly about hooks like legacy, athlete, etc. and don't mind TO when those kids can skate in even easier now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40% of Cornell is probably hooked if you add up legacy, first gen, URM, and athletic admits. A few years ago, 30% of the Harvard class was legacy.

40% of 15k undergrads? What?!?

You guys are insane. Do some research on what colleges at Cornell are TO before spewing this stupid stuff.

Exactly. People really really want TO not to be real.

Not as much as some people REALLY REALLY REALLY want standardized testing to never return!

The TO era has unleashed a tidal wave of applications from fresh faced 4.00 u/w students who test poorly, but only on Saturday mornings.

TO is disliked by families that are okay with hard work and believe in fair treatment, not the new BS equity that favors some groups over others.

I don't understand folks that complain bitterly about hooks like legacy, athlete, etc. and don't mind TO when those kids can skate in even easier now.

TO can't be about equity if legacy, athletes, and rich donors can "skate in." Last I checked, those hooks aren't about equity and inclusion. I'm sure that plenty of people believe in hard work (measured by GPA) and that fair treatment means not having to submit test scores. You measure hard work and fair treatment differently.

--signed someone who believes test scores are valuable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40% of Cornell is probably hooked if you add up legacy, first gen, URM, and athletic admits. A few years ago, 30% of the Harvard class was legacy.

40% of 15k undergrads? What?!?

You guys are insane. Do some research on what colleges at Cornell are TO before spewing this stupid stuff.

Exactly. People really really want TO not to be real.

Not as much as some people REALLY REALLY REALLY want standardized testing to never return!

The TO era has unleashed a tidal wave of applications from fresh faced 4.00 u/w students who test poorly, but only on Saturday mornings.

TO is disliked by families that are okay with hard work and believe in fair treatment, not the new BS equity that favors some groups over others.

I don't understand folks that complain bitterly about hooks like legacy, athlete, etc. and don't mind TO when those kids can skate in even easier now.

Eh not really. When tests were not optional, schools were just straight out ignoring the lower scores of legacies and athletes. The test scores didn't matter for those kids then, and they still don't matter now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40% of Cornell is probably hooked if you add up legacy, first gen, URM, and athletic admits. A few years ago, 30% of the Harvard class was legacy.

40% of 15k undergrads? What?!?

You guys are insane. Do some research on what colleges at Cornell are TO before spewing this stupid stuff.

Exactly. People really really want TO not to be real.

Not as much as some people REALLY REALLY REALLY want standardized testing to never return!

The TO era has unleashed a tidal wave of applications from fresh faced 4.00 u/w students who test poorly, but only on Saturday mornings.

TO is disliked by families that are okay with hard work and believe in fair treatment, not the new BS equity that favors some groups over others.

I don't understand folks that complain bitterly about hooks like legacy, athlete, etc. and don't mind TO when those kids can skate in even easier now.

TO can't be about equity if legacy, athletes, and rich donors can "skate in." Last I checked, those hooks aren't about equity and inclusion. I'm sure that plenty of people believe in hard work (measured by GPA) and that fair treatment means not having to submit test scores. You measure hard work and fair treatment differently.

--signed someone who believes test scores are valuable

lmao

[Anonymous]

TO means TO. Just understand that other kids at your HS do take the test. So if the school average is 1250 and your kid does not submit then the admissions committee will assume your kid scored lower than 1250.