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[quote=Anonymous][b]The mental gymnastics required to understand "test optional" are exhausting.[/b] However, I don't necessarily blame the schools. The test is not required, but if two students are relatively equal, a good test score might help.  There can also be aspects of two seemingly similar students' records that push one over the other, regardless of test scores, that we can't ascertain from the posts on this board.

My DD and her good friend are both applying to college this year. Their GPAs are similar, but my DD took the test and my her friend didn't. It was a pain and source of stress having the SAT scheduled and rescheduled so many times, and to some extent, the fact that DD took the test shows resilience. My DD's friend did not take it because she isn't a great test taker and chose not to, even though we live in the same county and she had the opportunity to take it.

With both B-plus students applying to many of the same schools for the same programs, based on the admissions decisions received so far, having a test score (in my DD's case a 1450) helped with merit aid. The bump was not huge, but it helped. It is hard to say whether there are other factors at play in the decisions. My DD has more extracurriculars, including many service oriented ones. Who really knows?  [/quote]

+1000

I posted about this on another thread.  My DD just got accepted early action into a T20 this past week and and submitted a test score. I followed many threads of that school after the decision release...all but one of the posted acceptances (out of hundreds) were applicants who submitted test scores. I'm convinced that this school, and probably many other selective colleges, just aren't comfortable accepting students without a test score...there are too many kids with great grades...not enough with great test scores. While the schools likes to brag that they are accepting a certain percentage without test scores, I think those accepted students (without test scores) are only the athletes that were already committed anyway.

This is my observation...I really believe the selective schools still want test scores. I realize that this is not the case for non-selective schools. But I would ask anyone to post about specific examples of kids that have gotten acceptances into any selective schools without a test score.

I know many people disagree with this, but I am on the side that submitting test scores give the applicant a huge advantage.  And after seeing my DD's school's decisions results, I'm even more convinced.  Many people at this school who were deferred were excellent students (grades, EC, etc.) but they didn't submit test scores.  They're wondering what to do do increase their chances for the RD round...I'd say, submit a test score!

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