Over half of colleges and universities (including most Ivy League schools) will be waiving their test requirements for admissions for the class of 2021 applicants (high school seniors this year). What this means for students, their families, and counselors is that students who do not submit results from standardized exams will neither be advantaged nor disadvantaged.
An example of what you may see on a University website: “For students entering in Fall 2021, you may be admitted to this college without a test score.”
Although this may delight those who dread testing, admissions will not necessarily become a walk in the park. At test-optional universities, admissions officials say applicants will be judged more holistically, with added emphasis on factors like high school grades and curriculum, letters of recommendation and extended resumes.
Another thing to consider is that you rarely see the same language with respect to their scholarship requirements. Test scores remain part of the criteria for these awards.
The test optional movement has caused higher education experts to be cautious. Concerns arise that in the absence of scores, school performance will disproportionately count towards an application.
Those who are pro-testing believe colleges need some level of standardization to level the playing field as it removes weight on GPA which is not standardized. Testing can boost an application of a late bloomer and those without access to quality schools/teaching.
What does this mean for college preparation?
There are many students pleased to see that their application to some schools doesn’t require a test score. Surely there will be some students that benefit from this option. That said, for many students the tests will still play an important role as scholarship requirements haven’t necessarily changed. This means that a test score will still be a critical piece to the application puzzle.
Families may view this option as a weight off of their students shoulders, but for an advanced student seeking scholarships ignoring testing could be a costly mistake. There’s nothing to lose by taking a test and having a score that can be a difference maker.