Welcome! A lot has been made of the SAT/ACT optionality for colleges.
One of the unintended consequences of this change is how the shift in the optionality impacts college selection.
Think of it this way. The traditional Reach/Target/Safety school view is based on how your academic profile matches up against the historical data associated with the school.
In other words:
The University of Colorado has a middle 50% ACT range of 26-31 for students accepted in 2021. But if the ACT was optional, then is that range actually accurate?
Let’s discuss:
Test Optional Explained
If you are unfamiliar with test optionality, many colleges and universities do not require the SAT/ACT for applications. This existed prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but the disruptive nature of the pandemic accelerated the trend.
Many colleges are still considering remaining test-optional. That means that if a student submits their SAT/ACT scores, they will be considered.
Historically, every student submitted similar applications - GPA, essays, letters of recommendation, etc. But with this shift, some students submit some data points while others do not.
When you discuss the competitiveness of your application, part of it is based on how you measure up against the historical data of other accepted students: average SAT scores, GPA, AP courses, etc.
That means if you were applying to college 10 years ago, everyone had to submit an SAT score. Which means that when you got the average, it was an average of EVERY student that was accepted. Now, you only receive the average SAT score of students that chose to submit it.
Why test-optional matters for reporting
Let’s assume two scenarios:
10 students apply to a college, all submit their SAT scores, with each student having an SAT score between 1000 and 1400
The same 10 students apply to college, but only 5 submit SAT scores, between the range of 1200 and 1400
In the first scenario, everyone submitted a score. So the average reflects everyone’s inputs. Hypothetically, lets say the average SAT score is 1200.
In the second scenario, only 5 submit their SAT scores, so the reported average will only reflect those 5. Hypothetically, lets say the average SAT score for this group was 1300.
Now you can see the difference. Depending upon the test policy, a school can appear more or less selective based upon the testing.
If you are a student with a 1200 SAT score, you would appear average in the first scenario, and below average in the second scenario. That matters because the school would go from being a “Target” school to being a “Reach” school.
Key Takeaways:
Be sure to use test optionality to your advantage - if you fit the academic profile of a college except for a standardized test score and that is optional, apply and don’t submit your scores
Be mindful that not every reported range will be truly reflective of the entire student body
Know that if you ARE in the target range at a test optional school, submit your scores as you know they will be competitive