Q: Why should students prepare for and take the ACT or SAT when their top-choice colleges are test-optional?

The following information has been adapted from an Op-Ed piece submitted to a major news publication in April 2020. Quotes were active on the listed websites at that time. This article has not been previously published. To help families navigate the unprecedented challenges of COVID-impacted and post-COVID college application cycles and avoid pitfalls, I offer some perspective and advice.

We live in an era of uncertainty education-wise. Students have been sent home. Many grade schools have been cancelled or minimized for the remainder of the school year. High schools and universities have struggled to shift to online curriculum delivery. Advanced Placement (AP) exams have been abbreviated. Multiple administrations of the ACT and SAT have been cancelled. In addition, many colleges have, in a grand social experiment, decided to go "test optional.”

In response to headlines about colleges and universities “waiving,” “suspending,” or “dropping” ACT and SAT requirements, many parents and students have been panicking about students’ prospects and making rash decisions to stop standardized test preparation, thinking that standardized tests no longer matter.

That is simply not the case. If standardized scores did not matter for admissions, colleges and universities would not allow students to submit their scores. Some quick research into the application processes on the websites of "test optional" schools shows that they still invite and even encourage students to submit scores and that they will consider those scores as part of a student’s application--it's just that students who don't have scores won’t automatically be prohibited from applying to test optional schools.

In other words, what "test optional" means is that students are not required to have an ACT score in order to apply to the test-optional colleges or universities. "Test optional" does NOT, however, mean that standardized tests won’t count.

In a blog post, Tufts University Dean of Admissions J. T. Duck expresses the school’s test-optional admissions approach this way:

“If applicants would like us to consider their exam results as one component of their candidacy, we will do so in a nuanced and contextual way. If students choose not to submit exam results, we will evaluate their candidacy in a nuanced and contextual way without scores.” (https://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions/post/tufts-introduces-sat-act-test-optional-admissions-policy/)

The Wake Forest University admissions webpage affirms those sentiments:

“For the record, it’s not that we think standardized tests are evil. . . . If you think your scores are an accurate representation of your ability, feel free to submit them. If you feel they are not, don’t.”

University of Chicago describes the value of standardized tests for the school’s test-optional process thusly:

“The SAT, ACT, and other standard measures can continue to be an important part of the University of Chicago’s holistic admission process for students electing to send scores and are a required part of the application process at many other highly selective schools. These tests can provide valuable information about a student which we and other colleges will consider alongside the other elements in a student’s application. We encourage students to take standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, and to share your scores with us if you think that they are reflective of your ability and potential.” (https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply)

One reason that standardized test scores have persisted as a desired component of most college and university admissions processes is that standardized tests provide a measuring stick against which all applicants are measured. Standardized test scores are not susceptible to grade inflation, like grade point average (GPA) is. Standardized test scores are significant predictors of college success and, though imperfect, are used along with GPA, demographics, and contextual information to help institutions of higher learning identify diverse students who are more likely to thrive while at those schools.

When standardized tests are optional, submitting ACT and SAT scores can still provide valuable information about academic preparation and differentiate students from candidates who might otherwise have similar qualifications. Especially in challenging circumstances like those caused by the COVID pandemic, a student who studies hard to improve standardized test scores can show strength of character, demonstrating drive to set and achieve goals, to persist through ambiguity and adversity, to strive for growth. In addition, improving ACT and SAT performance can help students qualify for scholarships, land competitive internships or jobs, earn credit for college classes, and place into more advanced coursework.

Haley Dillender, a first-year student at Brigham Young University, explains, “Looking back, even if my ACT score had no impact on my college admission, I would still elect to take the test, because it gave me a significant amount of college credit. My ACT credit, along with AP credit, covered enough coursework that I will be able to graduate a year early. Although the ACT requires an investment of time and money, it costs much less than college tuition and requires much less time than taking the corresponding college class.”

For each family with aspiring college students, it’s worth investigating your student’s potential schools to discover how ACT and SAT scores may make a difference—not only for admissions but also for scholarships, course credit, academic placement, internships, and employment opportunities.

In every crisis lies opportunity. Students who take advantage of this season to improve their standardized test performance in preparation for the coming application cycle can leverage their efforts to reach ambitious goals, stand out from other applicants, compete for scholarships, advance academically, and save time and money.

Dawn Roan, Founder of Dawn Roan Education, is a 99th-percentile scorer on multiple standardized tests and an elite admissions, academic tutoring, and standardized test preparation coach who has invested more than 20 years into transforming students’ learning, academic success, test performance, college admissions, graduate education, and career opportunities.

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