Just look at Naviance Scattergrams for your school. There is a sea of red rejects from our (not so great) high school. But those that were admitted were baselined at 1420. That is over these past five tumultuous years - but that is the data. Go ahead and apply some kind of post-modern political philosophizing if you want to. Those are the raw numbers.

If you have a 1500 in your back pocket then use it.

The difference between a 1500 and a 1550 is maybe two or three questions answered incorrectly.

Yet countless parents are burning so many calories over whether or not this will make the difference between admission or rejection at a top school.

If it is indeed the difference, man this system is screwed up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Penn and just went to an alumni event where an admissions counselor said that almost one-third of current freshmen and sophomores didn't submit scores, that this percentage is growing every year at every Ivy League school, and the average SAT score is also climbing every year (presumably because applicants with below median scores aren't submitting them). The admissions person didn't seem concerned about these trends.

On Penn average SAT, it went up by 25 points (to 1535) since test optional started. Admissions person said expectation is that upward trend will continue.

Friend got into an ivy with a 1380 in the 80s. His daughter just got into Penn with a 1360. Not URM.

You want to think a perfect score matters because you made your kid work very hard for it. But I don't think you understand college admissions in this country. You pretty much said that yourself.

Yes, but the test was very different in the 80s. Percentage wise, 1380 back then would be like 1550+ today.

Submit the 1500 and move on. Chances are slim for Duke admit in any case, even if you squeeze out another 30 points. Overall application has to be exceptional.

Anonymous wrote:TO is a way to allow URM and hooked kids in and not have it blow their stats.

It is crazy to say it, but having him apply with a 1500 and get accepted lowers their stats.

So does he offer enough in other areas to warrant their stats being lowered???

Schools should be test required or test blind - TO is a crazy middle ground leaving kids who otherwise have great stats in limbo.

TO has been around since the 1970s, lady. Then Covid-19 made it necessary for a year or two. Now these schools are trying to figure out if they prefer it or if they want to go back to test required. Hooked legacy and URM did not make it happen. Did you take a really long nap between 2019 and 2021?

TO is a way to allow URM and hooked kids in and not have it blow their stats.

It is crazy to say it, but having him apply with a 1500 and get accepted lowers their stats.

So does he offer enough in other areas to warrant their stats being lowered???

Schools should be test required or test blind - TO is a crazy middle ground leaving kids who otherwise have great stats in limbo.

Anonymous wrote:One does not apply test optional with a 1500.

Usually I’d agree for 99% of schools, but as PPs have said it’s Duke. It’s one of the handful of schools where you really want any edge possible, and a 1500 doesn’t stand out. But perhaps it’s better to submit so there isn’t any speculation about what you scored. It’s also hard to advise OP in a vacuum without knowing the whole profile of the applicant.

One does not apply test optional with a 1500.

Duke is an incredibly hard admit, and it looks like they received a 30% increase in ED apps this year. Duke is getting “hot” so honestly it might be better to withhold the 1500. It’s a close call though, I would even say it’s ok to submit if you did ED, but RD seems to prefer closer to a 1530 minimum if you’re unhooked.

They will be disappointed.

I would advise my child to submit it.
GL!

nope dont bother

All this conjecture.

It really just depends on how admissions treats scores overall.

Either it's a truly optional section of the app portfolio, in which case it would be beneficial only if it is impressive compared to other submissions, and there would be no disadvantage if not submitting.

Or, the test score section is considered overall, and not submitting suggests a low score.

No one seems to really know how Duke looks at the test score submissions, so all this conjecture amounts to what exactly? Can't you just ask an admissions officer, OP?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

For my $$$, there’s a significant difference between a one-and-done composite 1600/36 and a 1600/36 that’s been cobbled together across either multiple administrations or the super scoring process.

Your opinion is dumb and worthless.

Hard to believe that schools can justify “do-overs” on the standardized test side, but then look at the GPA side as any kind of rigid indicator of preparedness.

GPA reflects sustained effort over a long period of time, which indicates college preparedness to anyone with any intelligence (ie not you).

Taking the test multiple times also requires sustained effort over a long period of time, not just a one day snapshot.

Based on the rest of your super scored drivel, it’s little surprise that you don’t have mastery of e.g. vs. i.e.

Nevertheless, you and the low test score / grade-inflated GPA posse are free to continue living in fantasyland.

PP used ie correctly.

DP. Yup

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Penn and just went to an alumni event where an admissions counselor said that almost one-third of current freshmen and sophomores didn't submit scores, that this percentage is growing every year at every Ivy League school, and the average SAT score is also climbing every year (presumably because applicants with below median scores aren't submitting them). The admissions person didn't seem concerned about these trends.

On Penn average SAT, it went up by 25 points (to 1535) since test optional started. Admissions person said expectation is that upward trend will continue.

Friend got into an ivy with a 1380 in the 80s. His daughter just got into Penn with a 1360. Not URM.

You want to think a perfect score matters because you made your kid work very hard for it. But I don't think you understand college admissions in this country. You pretty much said that yourself.