Anonymous wrote:You can easily get into Northwestern, Vanderbilt or Columbia test-optional if your major is music (Bienen School of Music, Blair School of Music), dance, or English, and you have corresponding national-level accolades.

If the OP has that kind of kid, wouldn't they know?

OP-what's the major?

"Easily"?

Anonymous wrote:Both Northwestern and Vanderbilt not only have D1/competetive NCAA sports and top music schools, but they both also have top education schools.

It is unlikely either one goes back to being test required.

Vandy has around 40% TO admits while NU is closer to 20%. And Northwestern cares about composite scores, so it is better classified at test preferred.

Anonymous wrote:According to the CDS for 2024-2025 (so not even most recent one) 76% of admitted student submitted an SAT or ACT score. Even though they mark it as "considered" and not "important" it seems pretty important from a data standpoint.

Sorry, I meant to say for U Chicago

According to the CDS for 2024-2025 (so not even most recent one) 76% of admitted student submitted an SAT or ACT score. Even though they mark it as "considered" and not "important" it seems pretty important from a data standpoint.

Increasingly test score is going to have more weight than GPA. Many make the argument that test score is demonstrating your performance on one day alone, but that's simply not true. It's testing your accumulated ability over the years. This year it's surprising to see a couple ivy level kids (based on grades) at our private school ended up at state flagships, because they (unhooked) can't get the a high test score for ivy after prep and several sittings.

Anonymous wrote:At which T20 schools should one apply TO if they are at the 25th percentile SAT? In other words, 1510-1520.

Obviously Vandy, but which others? Duke, Rice, Columbia, Princeton?

Is this person a musician or quarterback? If not, then TO is not actually meant for them

Nowhere near Top 20 but UMD and UVA are still test optional. Test optional is worse IMO than test blind. Either use it or don’t. Test optional just gives a false illusion that a higher caliber cohort is attending.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should really assume test optional at T20 is for hooked only - first gen, legacy, faculty kids, athlete, kids from unpopulated states, super niche major, musician for band etc.

Once u take all of those kids out of the admitted student pool, how many spots do u realistically think are left for wealthy, white kids?

No - this is misinformation. The majors do not have to be that niche.
I mean we know several wealthy, white or Asian private school kids who got in this year or last (TO) to T20 for:

English
Art History
Foreign Languages
Classics
Some sort of “studies” major
Anthropology
Archeology
Dance
Music

Add all of the education majors onto this.

Anonymous wrote:At which T20 schools should one apply TO if they are at the 25th percentile SAT? In other words, 1510-1520.

Obviously Vandy, but which others? Duke, Rice, Columbia, Princeton?

What major?
What’s the split?

A 1510 for Princeton engineering is read differently than a 1510 for Princeton classics.

Both Northwestern and Vanderbilt not only have D1/competetive NCAA sports and top music schools, but they both also have top education schools.

It is unlikely either one goes back to being test required.

At which T20 schools should one apply TO if they are at the 25th percentile SAT? In other words, 1510-1520.

Obviously Vandy, but which others? Duke, Rice, Columbia, Princeton?

Anonymous wrote:You should really assume test optional at T20 is for hooked only - first gen, legacy, faculty kids, athlete, kids from unpopulated states, super niche major, musician for band etc.

Once u take all of those kids out of the admitted student pool, how many spots do u realistically think are left for wealthy, white kids?

No - this is misinformation. The majors do not have to be that niche.
I mean we know several wealthy, white or Asian private school kids who got in this year or last (TO) to T20 for:

English
Art History
Foreign Languages
Classics
Some sort of “studies” major
Anthropology
Archeology
Dance
Music

You should really assume test optional at T20 is for hooked only - first gen, legacy, faculty kids, athlete, kids from unpopulated states, super niche major, musician for band etc.

Once u take all of those kids out of the admitted student pool, how many spots do u realistically think are left for wealthy, white kids?

Anonymous wrote:Pretty much only Vanderbilt these days...which tells you all you need to know about its pretensions to be an elite university.

So much butt hurt. Vanderbilt has been a top 20 for decades and before the pandemic / TO for everyone, Vanderbilt had one of the higher SAT averages.

Enjoy Emory!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Princeton
Chicago
Duke
Northwestern
Columbia
UCLA (test blind)
UC Berkeley (test blind)
Vandy
Rice
Michigan
Notre Dame
Wash. U.
Emory
and the fine arts programs at CMU

Princeton is test required for next cycle.

No, Princeton remains test optional for the 26-27 cycle. They go back to test required for 27-28. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/standardized-testing