Is test optional really optional in the admission’s process?

cepted scores of the schools I was applying to were very high and diminished my hope of being admitted.

While there are many free, accessible study tools available, I went the tutoring route. I met with a private tutor once a week. In total, I took three ACTs and two SATs.

Standardized testing is a notoriously feared subject. Typically taken during your junior year of high school, the ACT and SAT offer an additional data point to colleges when reviewing your application.

In the past, it was mandatory for students to submit their SAT/ACT scores to most colleges. In recent years, however, many schools have allowed students to apply without SAT and ACT scores being mandatory in their application.

The test-optional movement began in 1969; however, test-optional admissions proliferated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the majority have stuck since.

While schools may not look at test scores, many worry about its effect on the admissions process.

I took my first practice ACT the summer going into my junior year, and like many, I was disappointed with my initial score.

When creating the list of schools I wanted to apply to, I researched their average standardized testing scores.

To my surprise, the average ac-

While the tests differed slightly, the SAT being more math-heavy, and the ACT predominantly reading, I decided to focus my tutoring on the ACT. My score went up 10 points on the ACT, and while expensive, tutoring made a huge difference in the outcome of my score.

Unfortunately, paying for tutoring isn’t an option for all students. So, who is test optional favoring?

The majority of people submitting their scores are submitting the scores they feel proud of. Being test-optional is a bit of a grey area.

It can ultimately paint an inaccurate picture of admitted students if not everyone is submitting scores, therefore making applicants, like myself, insecure about applying to certain schools.

While I was happy with the outcome of my score, I didn’t actually submit my score to all the places that I applied to.

At a more prestigious school, I felt that my score may not have been good enough, but at a school where I felt that my scores would make a positive difference in the application process, I submitted them.

I am a perfect example of the pitfalls of the test-optional movement, picking and choosing where I submit my test scores, causing schools’ average accepted test scores to rise, and yield rates to potentially be inaccurate.

While many schools have stated that there is no difference between submitting test scores or not, I discovered firsthand that there is at least one difference.

When applying for scholarships, I generally had to meet certain criteria with both my GPA and test score to qualify, ultimately discriminating against those who were not submitting, as they didn’t have an opportunity to be considered.

Rumors have spread about what that data point really adds to an application, but there seems to be no consistent answer.

Instead, colleges should establish a uniform test-blind policy, in which no one person would be hindered.

As a result, school admissions would be required to view applications with a more holistic view. It’s more important to focus on a student’s grades and extracurricular activities over the course of four years, rather than a test score that carries with it a host of confounding factors.

By creating a unified test blind policy, colleges can level the playing field for all applicants and judge students on characteristics that demonstrate college readiness, like their academic performance and school involvement.