To Take Or Not to Take The College Entrance Exams?
Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by Jill Schwitzgebel
Whether or not to take the college entrance exams – the ACT and/or the SAT – has been one of the biggest dilemmas amid the pandemic. The answer is a little more clear for the upcoming classes. In Spring 2020, when it became clear that it wouldn’t be feasible or safe to administer the tests, the majority of colleges quickly adopted a test-optional policy for the class of 2021 and as of 2024, only four percent of Common App member colleges required test scores. In some cases, colleges even became test-blind in 2020. However, despite reassurance from colleges, students still worried that especially at the most selective colleges, applying without test scores might hurt their chances for acceptance. And many of the students who planned to apply to them that year, already had their scores in hand.
Before I offer up my personal recommendation about what to do about testing, I want to outline all of the college entrance exam information that we know right now. All of these factors go into my own testing recommendations.
Admissions
Colleges have generally demonstrated that they did not hold the lack of a test score against a student. Overall, the number of students submitting test scores was at 48% last year, down from 77% in 2019-20. However, it does appear that at the most selective colleges, students that applied without test scores had a slightly lower acceptance rate, as compared to those that did submit them. But, we also can’t know whether the overall strength of the test-optional applications was as strong as those applications submitted with scores.
Application Numbers Went Way Up
It seems that many students were thrilled to see some of those colleges with low acceptance rates become test-optional – they have responded by sending them a record number of applications for the past two years! In 2021, Harvard reported that applications were up by 42% – they had over 57,000 applicants! In 2024, Yale also had 57,000 applicants, a 10% increase over the prior year. Other highly selective colleges saw similar surges. It’s hard not to see a correlation with becoming test-optional. Due to that surge, as expected, we continue to see a record low percentage of acceptances each spring. Interestingly, though the number of applications submitted around the country went up, the number of applicants did not. Applicants just chose to apply to more highly selective colleges than they have in the past.
Test Scores Don’t Predict College Success
College entrance exams have a long history. But over the years, research has proven that the high school GPA is a better predictor, of whether a student will succeed in college. This shocks many people. But, when a college combines GPA with looking at the rigor of the curriculum that a student chose to take, they have a pretty good idea of how a student will do. In fact, most of them have been saying for years that the ACT or SAT scores were secondary to GPA in their consideration. Jon Boeckenstedt, a 30 year college admissions professional, has written extensively about limitations of testing.
States That Still Require Test Scores
Florida and Georgia. Students applying to any state universities in Georgia and in Florida, the third most populous state, are still required to submit test scores with their applications. And initially, many colleges there saw a steep drop in the number of applications they received. Meanwhile, California, the most populous state and therefore influential when it comes to things like testing, dropped the requirement and is unlikely to reinstate it going forward. That decision will have a significant financial impact on both the College Board and ACT testing agencies.
SAT Subject Tests and SAT with Essay – GONE
There is much confusion about this – on several forums, parents believed that the College Board had chosen to do away with the SAT itself. They did not! The SAT Subject tests were relatively obscure, with fewer than 20 colleges, typically schools with very low admission rates, either recommending or requiring them. A large percentage of families did not even realize these tests existed. And for that reason, especially after colleges quit requiring them for the class of 2021, it did not make economic sense for the College Board to continue to offer them.
As for the SAT with Essay, fewer and fewer colleges have required that test for the last several years, as they just didn’t find a benefit to it. It simply wasn’t a good way to measure students’ writing abilities. Because of that, fewer and fewer students opted to take it each year. Again, it just didn’t make economic sense to continue to offer it.
Dropping these tests removed one more hurdle for students applying to colleges. And I think that is always a good thing.
My Thoughts
The test-optional movement was forced on many colleges beginning in fall 2020, when it became obvious that students just were not able to safely take the exams. But at this point, colleges have seen the benefits of it. Without the test requirement, many colleges received a record number of applications, from a more diverse group of applicants. Colleges went on to have record low acceptance rates. Keep in mind, colleges like both of those things!
Additionally, colleges that weren’t already test-optional had to quickly rethink their admissions process without test scores in the mix. Previously, they may have been putting off going test-optional because making a change seemed intimidating. But, now that admissions departments have done some test optional admission cycles, they have likely figured out what they are looking for from applicants without scores.
For the above reasons, it seems obvious most colleges will choose to continue with their test-optional policy from now on. The fact that the College Board chose to drop two of their offerings, says that they are becoming concerned about their bottom line and cutting costs. I think it reflects that they are facing the reality that their SAT audience will be significantly smaller going forward. And of course, the ACT will be in the same situation.
At some handful of colleges, test scores are still required to receive merit aid. And, as of spring 2024, many of the most selective colleges have announced that they are going to begin requiring scores again, as soon as for the class of 2025, in some cases. But, with thousands of colleges in this country, the number requiring scores is still small.
I think that students in some of the most academically competitive high schools will continue to feel significant pressure to take the entrance exams. In some cases, students are also going to feel pressure from tutoring companies that hope to maintain their customer base. So, be aware of where the pressure is coming from before making the decision about whether it makes sense to pursue testing. Consult with your school counselor to discuss college goals and know that the testing landscape continues to be more clear each year.
Bottom Line:
I think test-optional is here to stay. For students who are strong test-takers, there is no downside to taking them. And, I now recommend that students take them at least one time, to see how well they do before making a decision about whether to apply without test scores. If a student’s score is in the 25th – 50th percentile or above compared to the college’s score range, then it’s worth submitting. If a student is applying to a highly competitive college that does not require scores, then they need to be certain that the rest of the application is absolutely exceptional, if they are applying without test scores. For more information, check out Navigating the Chaos in Test Optional Admissions.
If you’re uncertain about what’s best for your student, please feel free to reach out to me and we can discuss.
Updated: 4/24
