If there are no special needs involved, there is no such thing as "doesn't test well". What it means is that there is grade inflation at your kids' school, and the national standardized test score reflects his true performance.

You can help with that by paying for test prep and tutoring. I recommend the senior tutors at Prep Matters, but they're incredibly expensive (they did wonders for my son, though - got him from a 28 to a 35).

OP here. He's only taken the SAT once so far, but it was in 1100's, so low for this area.

Send DC to a Test Prep Class where they teach the answers to the SAT/AC. There are tons of ways to game those tests.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Bad” test scores are only scores below the bottom 25 percent of admitted applicants to a particular college. If you’re at least there or very close to it and have an outstanding academic record, I’d submit the scores and not fret about it. Otherwise the adcom will assume they’re even worse.

No. This is outdated advice

The truth is no one know. Unhooked students with gpas welll above the 75 percentile tend to not have issues being admitted to schools outside the T30. Inside the T30, less clear whether test optional is mostly used to benefit hooked students (urm, first gen, athletes, legacies, etc].

There has been almost no data on test optional released by the schools so everyone is just guessing, even the college counselors.

And with the huge rise in scores last year at many places thanks to TO, that 25th percentile is likely higher than ever. I think this advice holds even more this year than last.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Bad” test scores are only scores below the bottom 25 percent of admitted applicants to a particular college. If you’re at least there or very close to it and have an outstanding academic record, I’d submit the scores and not fret about it. Otherwise the adcom will assume they’re even worse.

No. This is outdated advice

The truth is no one know. Unhooked students with gpas welll above the 75 percentile tend to not have issues being admitted to schools outside the T30. Inside the T30, less clear whether test optional is mostly used to benefit hooked students (urm, first gen, athletes, legacies, etc].

There has been almost no data on test optional released by the schools so everyone is just guessing, even the college counselors.

I don't know what there would be other than test prep assistance and a substantial amount of time prepping, perhaps with a tutor.

Yes, lots of schools are test optional now. Is he taking a rigorous course load? If his GPA shows that he is excelling in advanced classes, you may not need to show stellar test scores, depending on the schools he's applying to.

My kid had so-so grades in advanced and AP classes (resulting in a high weighted GA but somewhat mediocre unweighted GPA) but scored pretty well on the ACT, so I knew he would need to submit the scores to get merit money. If you're looking at schools that give merit money, some will show the standards for what GPA is needed for merit money when applying test-optional versus what GPA/test score combination is needed.

Anonymous wrote:“Bad” test scores are only scores below the bottom 25 percent of admitted applicants to a particular college. If you’re at least there or very close to it and have an outstanding academic record, I’d submit the scores and not fret about it. Otherwise the adcom will assume they’re even worse.

No. This is outdated advice

“Bad” test scores are only scores below the bottom 25 percent of admitted applicants to a particular college. If you’re at least there or very close to it and have an outstanding academic record, I’d submit the scores and not fret about it. Otherwise the adcom will assume they’re even worse.

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by bad? I think this group is skewed.

Also, have your junior retake closer to senior year. My DD tested 1280, 1290 junior year but went up 100 points (without additional test prep) in the fall of senior year. She got into W&M ED.

+1 would need to know "how bad" and what schools you're targeting. My DS had "ok/bad" scores by DCUM standards but still go into top 25 schools because he had an incredibly high GPA and class rank.

What do you mean by bad? I think this group is skewed.

Also, have your junior retake closer to senior year. My DD tested 1280, 1290 junior year but went up 100 points (without additional test prep) in the fall of senior year. She got into W&M ED.

Anonymous wrote:This is my DS. He's a senior and he is applying test optional everywhere, including UVA and W&M. When we toured W&M, the admission rep stressed that they are truly test optional. My DS' test scores are so low, he falls in the below average for the entire US.

One school that I know is NOT test optional is Georgetown. But they were also requiring the SAT essays after almost every other college dropped the essay requirement.

Fortunately there is no longer SAT essays.
https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/applying/first-year/

Bumping- would love to hear some positive outcomes!

This is my DS. He's a senior and he is applying test optional everywhere, including UVA and W&M. When we toured W&M, the admission rep stressed that they are truly test optional. My DS' test scores are so low, he falls in the below average for the entire US.

One school that I know is NOT test optional is Georgetown. But they were also requiring the SAT essays after almost every other college dropped the essay requirement.

Enough schools are test optional. Most of the schools that were test optional during COVID are still test optional. They may not all be test optional forever, but test optional aren't going anywhere at most places.

Is anyone else in this position? My junior has a great GPA, strong extracurriculars, and bad test scores. He apparently doesn't test well.

I know we can find some test prep assistance, but I guess I'm wondering if there is anything else to do to boost his chances. Or are enough schools test optional now to make this less of a problem?