Walking your child through the college admissions process can be overwhelming. From SAT/ACT test prep and admissions essays to college tours and financial aid applications, the to-do list is long and complex.
When your child’s school of choice turns out to be test-optional, you may wonder if you can strike the SAT/ACT from your list altogether.
FAQs for Test-Optional College Admissions
We understand the desire to simplify the process, but skipping out on these tests may not be the best option for your child. In this blog, we’re tackling your common questions about test-optional schools. Read on to learn what you can do to increase the chances of your child receiving that coveted acceptance letter!
What does test-optional mean?
Before we get into the application process for test-optional schools, let’s get on the same page about what that term means. Each school your child applies to will fall into one of three categories:
- Test-Required – These colleges require that you send in an SAT or ACT score in order to be considered for admission.
- Test-Blind – These colleges do not look at SAT or ACT scores for their applicants.
- Test-Optional – These colleges leave it up to each applicant to decide whether or not to submit scores.
While test-optional schools have been around for a while, we’re seeing more and more schools move in that direction, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Going test-optional is a way for colleges to offer flexibility after a year in which a global pandemic made it much more difficult to prep for and take the SAT/ACT.
Plus, going test-optional has greatly increased the number of applications those colleges and universities have received. Kids are throwing their hats into the ring at selective schools where they would not have otherwise applied because they didn’t have high enough test scores. With more applicants, colleges can be more selective and improve their admissions statistics, so we suspect many schools will stay test-optional for a while longer.
What do test-optional colleges consider when admitting applicants?
All colleges, test-optional or not, try to look at the big picture when reviewing applicants. Your child’s grades, the strength of curriculum, extracurricular involvement, and performance in college-prep courses will all be taken into account along with other factors like essays.
At a test-optional college, you get to decide whether or not the SAT/ACT tests will be part of that big picture review. If you opt not to submit the scores, they’ll simply consider the rest of your application in full without them. When you do submit them, however, they will weigh those into the decision. We don’t know how heavily test-optional schools weigh submitted scores, but we do know that they take them into consideration.
Whether or not your child should submit scores will depend on the overall strength of an application with or without the scores.
Should my child study for and take the SAT/ACT?
We highly recommend that most students study for and take the SAT/ACT, even if every school on their list is test-optional. If they take the test and don’t like their score, they can simply not submit it. There’s no harm done. However, if they take it and score well, they can strengthen their application and perhaps be admitted to a school where they would have otherwise been waitlisted or rejected.
(You may be asking, “No harm done?! What about all the lost time and effort?” If you’re worried a strong score is too out of reach to be worth the time and effort, we recommend starting with an inexpensive mock test. Then, you can review the results with our specialists and determine what a realistic goal is for your child.)
A strong performance on the SAT/ACT can help balance the application and, to some extent, make up for less-than-stellar grades.
When should my child start prepping?
The ideal timeline for test prep and test-taking will depend on your child’s particular courseload, needs, and plans. Here are the upcoming SAT and ACT dates with our suggestions for when your student should start preparing.
If your child is a junior, it’s not too late to start studying for a test in the late spring, summer, or even fall. If your child is applying early decision or early action with a November 1st deadline, they can take the test as late as September or October of their senior year and still have the test make it on to their application.
Note: Click here to schedule a free consultation with our team, and we can help you pair test dates and chart a roadmap that works best for your student.
Should my child submit his or her SAT/ACT scores to a test-optional school?
Once your child studies for the SAT/ACT and achieves his or her best-possible score, you’ll be able to decide whether or not to submit those scores to test-optional schools. Again, this will depend on how strong your child’s application is without vs. without those scores.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend submitting scores if they fall within the upper portion of the mid-50th percentile of the range that a school typically accepts.
For example, James Madison University accepted applicants with an average SAT score of 1120-1290 and an average ACT score of 23-28 last year. If your child applies to James Madison and their score falls within the upper 50th percentile of those ranges, we recommend submitting the score.
The SAT or ACT score can be an additional data point for the school to identify the applicant as a good match for them. It can also set your child apart from similar applicants who didn’t submit a score.
If your child takes part in our college application coaching or test prep tutoring, we’re happy to help you consider the options and make the best decision for your child.
Just click below to set up a free consultation and learn more about these services.
At the end of the day, performing their very best on the SAT/ACT can never hurt and just might help your child get into their test-optional school of choice. And performing their best starts now with a clearly-charted plan for test prep and test-taking!
We hope we’ve helped answer some of your questions about test-optional schools, but we also know that the college application process is overwhelming. Remember—you don’t have to do it alone!
Our college application coaches and test prep tutors can help your family navigate this important process with more confidence and less stress. We’re here for you!
