Test Optional is back in the News.
Dartmouth has reinstated Standardized Tests for the 2025 Applicants.
Other schools that have reversed course on Test Optional include MIT, Georgetown, Purdue and a number of State Schools.
The Colleges believe that they are missing promising economic diversity students because they don’t submit the scores!
This has created an ever changing Test Optional landscape!
As is often the case, Shveta Bagade, SMB Consulting shed light on this topic in this Podcast Episode.
Here’s an edited version of our conversation.
1.What should students do about Test Optional?
Shveta: It might be a little bit tricky, but this is what I would recommend.
Test Prep can be very expensive -
If a student cannot afford to pay for Test Prep, then lean into using any free resources that are available;
I do recommend taking a Test, to see where you're at;
PSAT would be a great one, if your school provides that;
Use that as a guide to see how you would perform on the SAT.
2.Reach out to Admissions Officers
Shveta: A student takes the Test.
And let's say they have 3.9 unweighted GPA, a handful of APs and honors courses, and they get a Test score;
They're not sure where that Test score sits for a particular School.
I find talking to Admission Reps in Colleges, really helpful.
So send them an email saying, I go to ABC High School, link them to the school profile, so they can get context if they don't know the school.
Share your GPA and the Test Score and ask them for guidance.
Admission Reps’ goal is to guide students with the best information and give them direction;
They can't tell the students everything, because then it's in context of all the students that are applying;
But it's probably the same advice they're giving to every other student;
And it might help give them some perspective on whether this SAT score is good enough for the school that wants Test scores.
You can even ask the schools that don’t require Test scores!
3.Then, There is “Test Flexible”
Shveta: Then there are some schools that require scores, they call it Test Flexible. It is different from Test Optional in that Test Flexible means the school will use the test score at their discretion, if you submit it.
For a lot of schools Test Optional means you either submit the score or not.
But Test Flexible means, if you send the score, they're going to look at it.
And what they really want is the score to complement your application.
So it's a tricky, again. As a 16,17 year old already having to deal with a complicated process,
And now you just added another wrench into the process!
Hope you find this piece helpful and provides some clarity about Test Optional.
Good Luck!
Finally, Thanks to all my guests who have been generous with their time and counsel on my Podcast.
Have a wonderful week!
Venkat