The pandemic has impacted nearly every industry around the globe. Universities are no different. For the first time in modern history, schools have largely been forced to become test-optional. While many schools were headed in this direction already, we thought it would be years before we saw a real domino-effect in schools ditching test scores as a prerequisite. Since access to exams themselves is uncertain at best at the moment, a trend that was perhaps a ways into the future has arrived, at least for now.
It’s important to note that while many schools have become test-optional, they are not test-prohibitive, meaning kids who take the test can still share their test scores if they so choose. Back to that in a minute. So, what does this new situation mean for applicants? Well, for one, barriers to entry for highly-competitive schools such as Harvard and the other Ivy Leagues just got a lot lower. Now, we don’t want students to think that just because a school is becoming test-optional, it’s easy to get into. In fact, a lot of test-optional schools are still boasting about their high test scores. So what should you do?
Something to Consider
First of all, we don’t know what’s going on in your life. These times are extremely difficult for a variety of reasons and everyone’s circumstance is unique. We also don’t know what your test scores are (or would be if you sat for standardized exams). So, we’ll preface by saying it’s hard to give advice without knowing what’s going on with you. As such, we ask that you take our advice with no less than 10 grains of salt. And if you haven’t sat for a test, you can go ahead and ignore this post altogether.
An Unnecessary Burden
The question of whether or not to submit test scores is a deeply personal one. We don’t say this to scare or shame students about submitting their scores. Rather, we want to consider the fact that schools are still allowing students to submit. That signals something to us. We think schools should just come out and say they don’t want to see anyone’s test scores this year. Not even the good ones. For one, test scores tend to exacerbate inequities. What we mean by that is kids who are wealthy and have in-school resources such as college counselors can typically do better. They hire private tutors, take classes, purchase practice books, and can pay the fee to sit for exams multiple times. This isn’t the case for a number of kids across the country and while standardized tests might measure academic performance (though the jury is still out), they don’t account for economic and social advantages and disadvantages. That’s during a normal year. The pandemic stands to divide those gaps by miles. This is a crazy time and adding to the stress levels of young people (not just young people from low-income backgrounds, but especially them) seems unnecessary at best. But alas, we live in a world and these are the rules at present.
To Submit or Not To Submit
So, should you submit? If you already have test scores, there are a few questions you should ask yourself in deciding whether or not you are going to send them in:
1. What type of school are you applying to?
Sure, Harvard is test-optional but we are very very interested in seeing exactly how many kids without test scores get in. The more competitive the school, the more likely we are to suggest that you send in your test scores if you have them. Why, you might ask? Well, for one, if Harvard has two incredibly qualified, almost identical kids and one has an ACT of 35 and the other has no score, we can’t imagine how they will justify choosing the kid without the test scores. We are not admissions directors, but this is our speculation, based on years of experience in the field. You might find yourself asking, “well, how likely is it that two totally identical people will be up against each other?” The answer is, highly likely! A lot of qualified people apply to Harvard, et al.
2. What are the scores?
This is obvious. Don’t submit your scores if they don’t help you! If you’re at or above the 75th percentile, there’s probably no downside to sending in your scores. However, if you don’t have stellar scores, just don’t bother. At this point in the post, you might be saying “but hey, you just said to send in scores to competitive schools!” The reality is, unless the rest of your application is a 10/10, if you got a 27 on your ACT and you’re hoping to get into Yale, you might want to reevaluate your college list, and definitely don’t send a 27 to Yale. Don’t send in scores just for the heck of it.
3. Do your scores match and/or elevate your grades?
If you have an A+ GPA and a 1550, send in your scores! If you have an A+ GPA but you are a bad test-taker, you just lucked out. You want your scores to compliment your grades and add to them. The rule of thumb is this: Scores don’t say much about a person. They’re a poor indicator of ability, and this year they matter even less than they normally do.
Need help deciding whether or not to send in your test scores? Email us. We’re great at helping students figure out the best application strategy for them.