Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 23:29     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

USC
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 23:24     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Anonymous wrote:I’d love to know whether much, if any, merit aid was offered to TO kids at the mentioned schools. (Particularly interested in American, Fordham, Pitt, and Loyola MD.)


I posted earlier. $36k at Fordham and $39k at Loyola. Nothing yet from Pitt but I don't expect any, though it could come later as DD was just accepted last week.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:05     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dame
Indiana - 8k merit
Marquette - 38k merit
UMD honors
Fordham - 50k
Vanderbilt

DS couldnt crack 1300 on SAT on multiple tries even superscored. Lucked into ECs being very compelling and unique this cycle.


Notre Dame and Vanderbilt? Isn't ND EA restrictive?
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:59     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Notre Dame
Indiana - 8k merit
Marquette - 38k merit
UMD honors
Fordham - 50k
Vanderbilt

DS couldnt crack 1300 on SAT on multiple tries even superscored. Lucked into ECs being very compelling and unique this cycle.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:29     Subject: Re:Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Not EA, but my DD's best friend got into Columbia ED TO. Not URM, but FGLI.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:24     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

UVM - Trustee scholarship
Stonybrook - 13k merit aid a year
UVA

Biochemistry Major
Private School, 3.8 GPA
2 AP classes, mostly honours
Normal ECs

No hook.
TO because he doesnt test well and his scores don’t reflect his ability
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:21     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

UVM
Stonybrook
UVA

Biochemistry Major
Private School, 3.8 GPA
2 AP classes, mostly honours
Normal ECs

No hook.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:19     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Anonymous wrote:I’d love to know whether much, if any, merit aid was offered to TO kids at the mentioned schools. (Particularly interested in American, Fordham, Pitt, and Loyola MD.)


I just posted and my DS got $25k in merit from Loyola.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:17     Subject: Re:Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

All of the mid-Atlantic Catholic schools- Loyola MD, Manhattan, Seton Hall, Duquesne, La Salle, St Joe's, Scranton
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:13     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Looking at naviance reports for my school, lots of kids got into colleges EA with SAT scores below 1000. Seeing schools like Catholic University, George Mason, St Marys of Maryland, Georgetown, Indiana, Michigan St, Rutgers, Oregon St


What is “lots” of kids?
Because I am definitely not seeing “lots”. I am seeing a small number of schools in our scattergrams that had a max of 1 kid accepted with a low SAT. I assume they play football.


DP. All you have to do is look at the schools' data (SCHEV if in VA) to see how many kids go TO. The PP is right - lots of them do.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:12     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

UVA EA
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 20:41     Subject: Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

I’d love to know whether much, if any, merit aid was offered to TO kids at the mentioned schools. (Particularly interested in American, Fordham, Pitt, and Loyola MD.)
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 16:26     Subject: Re:Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Anonymous wrote:My friend’s daughter got in TO to Tulane ED. I think she took the SAT like 5 times and couldn’t get over 1350-60.

Friend’s annoyed they wasted so much time and money on test prep and SAT fees.


She didn’t have to do it. She chose to!
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 16:10     Subject: Re:Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I had assumed TO is truly test optional only for underprivileged students?


My white, privileged DS got into numerous schools TO last year, including one in the Top 30 and several in the Top 50.


Which schools? What gpa, from what county or school type? What major?
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 14:54     Subject: Re:Where did your 2026 kid get in EA Test Optional?

Anonymous wrote:I had assumed TO is truly test optional only for underprivileged students?


My white, privileged DS got into numerous schools TO last year, including one in the Top 30 and several in the Top 50.