The Advantage of Scores in Test-Optional Admissions

Many colleges this past fall made the decision to remain test-optional for the class of 2021. This past admissions cycle selective schools saw a large increase in applications, as students often expressed that the lack of a standardized test barrier encouraged them to apply to more “reach” schools than in previous years. This also means that top colleges had a wider applicant pool to choose from, and, therefore, there is more competition between applicants for a spot.

Another big factor impacting incoming class sizes this year is the large number of first-year deferrals colleges saw with the class of 2020. Many students in the class of 2020 deferred college a year in an attempt to start college with in-person instruction, making them the college graduating class of 2025. This means admissions offices have fewer acceptances to offer, decreasing the chance of current seniors to be accepted regardless of the colleges’ large increase in new applicants. 

Both educational professionals and students have been eagerly awaiting the results of what this means for students who choose not to submit test scores. Now that statistics are available regarding admissions decisions this past fall, the results are staggeringly in favor of students who submitted test scores to test-optional schools. At the University of Pennsylvania, students who chose not to submit test scores made up only 24% of their Early Action acceptances. The numbers differ even farther from average at Georgetown, where only 7% of applicants who did not submit test scores were admitted to the school Early Action. While colleges have been repeating that students will be considered equally in admissions, they are still accepting students with test scores at significantly higher rates than students without.

So how do you combat the increased difficulty of acceptances at top schools? The easiest route forward is to go with the statistics; submit an ACT or SAT score along with your application. While test cancellations were a limiting factor for some families in 2020, we are likely to see fewer test cancellations when schools start to reopen. If test access is still a barrier, applying to more and a wider variety of schools than you otherwise would have is the next best option to increase your chances of acceptance.