Reply to Swarthmore College will continue its test-optional admissions policy for up to five more years.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Current Swattie parent here. My kid had 4.0 uw GPA and 4.9 w GPA with a 35 ACT. Was deferred ED and accepted RD. Very happy with the diversity, academic rigor, studiousness, and friendliness of the school. It is small, though. I don't think the test scores matter because I think the admissions team is looking to build a diverse class. The FGLI students are a big part of the campus.[/quote]
+1. Parent of a student another WASP LAC with TO policies. My kid was valedictorian, 35 ACT, 13 APs with strong scores, very strong ECs, admitted to multiple Ivies, etc., etc. The student body is damned impressive as is the community. No complaints about continuing TO policies. (BTW, Swat was my DC's second choice. It's a fantastic school.)

People put way too much emphasis on test scores, which are just one, small part of the criteria that makes an applicant a strong candidate. It just so happens to be a quantifiable one, and so the nuance-challenged among us overly fixate upon it.[/quote]

I bet the kids who graduate from Swarthmore with physics degrees have really, really high SAT scores. Both math and verbal.  It would be interesting to see the numbers.  My guess is the test scores are a strong predictor, but okay let’s not put too much emphasis on that little inconvenience.  [/quote]
Perhaps. On the other hand, my DC is a studio art major and still had extremely high stats.[/quote]

That’s great but does not address the fact that about half the students there are hiding behind TO.  [/quote]

I did not believe you and thought it was hyperbole, but I looked it up.  More than half of freshman didn't submit an SAT or ACT score!!![/quote]

Believe or not, there are still a LOT of under resourced kids who cannot take tests or have other responsibilities (jobs, care for elderly) that preclude them from preparing for the tests.  [/quote]

The college board makes SAT free for low income students.  Also, Khan Academy is completely free.  It takes at most a few hours a week for a few weeks to prepare for the SAT.  So now all of a sudden underresourced kids can't spare a few hours?  This excuse making is nauseating.

The only reason not to submit an SAT score is because you bombed the SAT.  Everyone knows this. [/quote]

Hi Karen, you obviously never experienced what they’re experiencing.  When the family partially relies on you for providing food on the table, or granny needs you to take a bath every night when parents are working on their second jobs, Khan academy is not their first priority.

I applaud Swat for doing the right thing by offering half of their seats to under resourced kids, without which they may never have a chance to receive college education.[/quote]

Between SNAP benefits, free food at school, I doubt little Jimmy is putting food on the table.  Knock it off with this nonsense.  We're talking about taking a test offered for free that anyone with half a brain can study for, for free, for a few hours.  The excuse making is sad.[/quote]

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