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Why are colleges going test optional?

By eliminating the pressure to produce perfect SAT or ACT scores, test-optional colleges are allowing greater opportunity for students to focus on academic performance and, to take it a step further, pursuing courses and activities that match their interests.
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Why are colleges really going test optional?

One of the reasons we made the decision to go test-optional is that it provides students the ability to decide if they feel the test is an accurate reflection of their academic ability. About 60 percent of our students choose not to submit a test score.
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Why do colleges no longer require SAT?

“After recent Supreme Court decisions on admissions, eliminating testing requirements is a fair, legally permissible way to encourage applications from first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented student groups, for whom standardized exams are often a poor predictor of college success,” Bob Schaeffer, FairTest's ...
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What are the benefits of test optional schools?

The goal of test-optional admission is to open the doors to students who are otherwise challenged by standardized academic tests. This gives more people the opportunity to apply, but more applications means more pressure on registrar offices who need to read and assess them.
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Why did Harvard go test optional?

What Are Harvard's Testing Policies? Is Harvard Test Optional? Test optional admissions means that a college allows the applicant to decide whether they will submit SAT or ACT scores. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harvard adopted a test optional policy in order to make admissions fairer and more accessible.
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4.42 GPA, 1590 SAT Denied from 16 Colleges?!

What are the cons of test optional schools?

Some cons include the ambiguity and stress some students experience when making the decision to send or not send their scores. Also, some schools report a higher number of applicants each year, which could theoretically increase competition.
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How good is a 1200 SAT?

The average SAT score is a 1040, so a 1200 is above average. A 1200 SAT score is between the 71st and 80th percentile of test takers, meaning that you scored above 71-80% of other students.
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Do colleges care if you go test-optional?

The hard fact is that even though it reads “optional,” many colleges still tend to favor strong test scores over none at all. That's why it's important to understand the real reason colleges go test-optional and what that means for students who submit these applications.
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What are 2 disadvantages to test-optional blind admissions?

The Disadvantages

Critics of test-optional or test-flexible admissions claim these types of policies are geared more toward the institution than the student. Institutions with test-optional policies can often attract (and reject) more applicants, which lowers their acceptance rates and makes them appear more selective.
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Is test-optional worth it?

There are pros and cons to this. A pro is that colleges will now take a more comprehensive and in-depth look at a student's application beyond their test scores. A con is that colleges may not consider or acknowledge a student's test scores, which could be a major strength of their application.
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Does test optional hurt your chances?

Does applying test-optional hurt your chances? Test-optional colleges do not penalize applicants who choose not to submit test scores. If you forgo standardized tests, we recommend enhancing your application with other information that showcases your strengths and achievements.
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Will not submitting SAT scores hurt 2023?

If scores are not sent, the school simply bases their admission decision off the rest of the application. Test optional schools will not look negatively upon students who choose to not submit test scores. They are “test optional” for a reason, so no need to worry about that.
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Do colleges prefer ACT or SAT?

There's long been a myth that colleges prefer the SAT over the ACT, but the reality is colleges don't have a preference on college entrance exams. All colleges that accept the SAT also accept the ACT, so it's a matter of determining which test is a better fit for your abilities.
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Is Notre Dame truly test optional?

Notre Dame is test-optional for the 2024 and 2025 application cycles, meaning students may choose whether or not to submit their test scores with their applications. See test-optional questions below for further details.
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Will the SAT go away?

SAT, ACT testing requirements paused during pandemic are now permanently optional at some colleges. Some of the oldest universities in the nation are axing SAT and ACT testing admissions requirements for incoming undergraduate students – permanently.
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What is the truth about test optional?

Colleges experience at least two changes when they go test optional: average test scores rise and admission rates decrease. Average test scores rise because students who are lower-scoring do not report their scores, so the overall average rises for the incoming class.
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Are any Ivy Leagues test optional?

Let's take a look at each of the Ivy Leagues and what their current testing admissions policies are: Brown University: Test-Optional for 2023. Columbia University: Test-Optional for 2023 and 2024. Cornell University: Test-Optional for 2023 and 2024.
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Should I submit SAT scores if they are optional?

Even though test-optional colleges maintain that they do not view applications without standardized test scores in a negative light, many admissions experts suggest that submitting SAT/ACT scores can ultimately add value to a student's application.
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How long will colleges be test-optional?

Recently, more schools have adopted test-optional or test-blind admissions policies. In fact, more than 1,900 schools will not require applicants to submit scores for fall 2024 admission, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a nonprofit advocacy group commonly known as FairTest.
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Is Harvard test-optional?

So perhaps it's not surprising that Harvard University just announced it will continue its pandemic policy until at least 2026. Applicants can submit test scores if they want to. But if they don't, the dean of admissions says it won't count against them.
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What are the odds of getting into college test-optional?

It is important to note that many selective universities did welcome a large number of test-optional applicants into the Class of 2026. After all, only around 50% of applicants last year submitted SAT/ACT scores compared to 77% two years prior. At Boston College, 33% of accepted students chose not to submit scores.
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Is 1600 SAT rare?

Scoring a perfect 1600 on the SAT isn't easy — less than 1% of students do this.
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Is 800 SAT score good?

An 800 SAT is considered a percentile 8, which means that you only did better than 8% of all other test takers.
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How rare is 1300 SAT score?

Yes. A 1300 on the SAT indicates good performance in all sections of the exam and places you around the 87th percentile of all test takers, meaning you scored higher than 87% of all test takers.
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Does test optional put you at a disadvantage?

Test Scores Might Be Required for Merit Scholarships. Many test-optional colleges look at test scores when awarding merit scholarships, so not submitting them might put you at a disadvantage.
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