Test-Optional Schools Don’t Ignore Test Scores
Updated on July 5, 2023
What “Test Optional” Really Means
According to most schools’ “test-optional” policies, if a student submits an application that includes SAT® or ACT® scores, admissions officers will consider said scores. If a student submits an application that does not include test scores, the application just gets processed without them.
For the past few years, the phrase “test optional” has started picking up steam as the trendy admissions practice du jour. Rather than clinging to the extremes of mandating SAT® or ACT® test scores or the alternative, altogether refusing to consider them, “test optional” has created a fuzzy middle ground. How exactly do you evaluate standardized test scores if only some students provide them?
Then came COVID-19. A growing number of schools across the nation are adopting the “test-optional” policy for 2020, 2021, and (in some cases) beyond.
“Test-Optional” admissions policies aren’t going away any time soon. So, what does that mean for students? For schools? For test-prep tutors?
What Does “Test Optional” Mean for Students Applying to College?
On the surface, many students will look at applying to “test optional” schools the same way they do when considering those that accept the Common Application. Just as there are currently students who, in the interest of convenience, avoid applying to schools that require unique applications, it stands to reason that there will be students who limit the schools they apply to to those that don’t require test scores. This could be for a variety of reasons:
Limited access to test prep and/or testing centers
Poor testing performance
Lack of motivation to take a test
Test anxiety
Financial concerns
Regardless of the reason, “test optional” gives students an out to circumvent the admissions testing routine. Many applicants will likely choose this path of least resistance.
That said, there is certainly an advantage to submitting test scores as part of the application process, even if they are not required—especially if the student takes the time to prepare. While schools may not be requiring a test score to consider an applicant, the competitive nature of the college application process means that students need to do whatever they can to stand out from the pack.
This is the key point that most people miss: everything else being equal, a student who submits a solid test score has a leg up on a student who did not submit a score. Both the effort and the metric provide additional points of comparison that help add additional layers to an application.
In the current state of the world, a test score’s value increases as GPAs are watered down with pass/fail distance-learning grades and students have limited extracurricular options. Test scores can add a crucial point of comparison to bolster an applicant’s chances.
Unless there is a valid reason not to, college-bound students should absolutely still be preparing for and taking standardized tests—even if they are applying exclusively to “test optional” schools.
What does “Test Optional” Mean for Schools?
As the coronavirus continues to upend every aspect of a high schooler’s daily life, the ability to sign up and sit for the SAT® or ACT® is no longer a given. For many schools, this has been the chief stated reason why they have cited moving to “test optional” for the upcoming admissions cycle(s)—it’s a practical and compassionate response to an unprecedented challenge.
Other schools have leaned into the “test-optional” policy more strongly, adopting it in perpetuity. In some cases, COVID-19 may have advanced these plans faster than initially planned, but there are plenty of schools that had begun these conversations long before the pandemic.
There is a lot of rhetoric about how going “test optional” helps level the playing field and counteract some of the longstanding inequities associated with standardized testing. While this may hold a modicum of truth, there are several more disingenuous benefits for schools opting to go “test optional.”
It’s a smart P.R. move. As more and more schools go the “test-optional” route, it becomes harder to be the institution rigidly toeing the line of the status quo. Making something optional is an inherently softer policy than making something required. In this case, taking a test becomes a choice, not a hard and fast demand.
It increases the applicant pool. Any time you remove a barrier to entry to the application process, the total number of applicants predictably rises. More applicants means that a school has more flexibility in crafting its student body, which leads to the next reason...
It can make a school seem more selective. Now we get into the muddier stuff. One of the metrics used to evaluate a school’s prestige is the ratio of applicants to accepted students. The lower the odds of being accepted, the more elite a college can claim to be.
It increases other metrics used in ranking schools. Another way schools can tout the pedigree of their student body is by releasing test score averages. In a “test-optional” applicant pool, students who do not score well are less likely to submit scores. This drives up the school’s average ACT® and SAT® scores, and gives the perception that the typical student is of a higher academic calibre than may actually be the case.
It is worth acknowledging that standardized testing will never be a totally level playing field (little in education ever is), but even those who have studied the inherent flaws of the SAT® and ACT® have found ways in which scores still prove beneficial in the admissions evaluation process. For this reason (combined with the aforementioned institutional benefits), it is very unlikely that the move to “test optional” will start the ball rolling toward a totally “test blind” future.
What does “Test Optional” Mean for Your Test-Prep Business?
Your pitch needs to change. Based on how the “Test-Optional” headlines pour in each time a new school jumps onboard, it is up to you to have the knowledge and wherewithal to contextualize the realities of the situation for your current and future clients.
When taking the ACT® or SAT® was the accepted norm, the sell wasn’t hard: a student who scores better than another has given themselves an advantage—test prep can help. Now, you must be prepared to justify not only why test prep is beneficial, but why it’s worthwhile to take a test at all.
Once you clear that hurdle, your case is essentially the same, if not better. “Test-optional” policies actually are a boon for those who take the time to prepare for and achieve strong scores. A solid SAT® or ACT® performance will never hurt an applicant’s chances—it can only help.
The other consideration is that “test optional” is not a universal policy. Plenty of schools will still be expecting scores once their COVID-19 exceptions expire. Heck, even UC will be looking for students to submit scores (of some kind) at the end of their new testing policy rollout. Success on the ACT® and/or SAT® maximizes a student’s options; opting not to take a test at all limits them.
It’s up to you to make that pitch. Once you succeed, the next step is making sure you can deliver. Clear Choice offers a 100% white-label test-prep toolset complete with physical and digital resources to supercharge your tutors and support your students. For more on how our combination of curriculum, technology, and consulting can help you take your business to the next level—whether it’s navigating the “test-optional” movement or whatever happens next—schedule a free consultation to see for yourself.
