Even at Harvard, the SAT — that standard for U.S. college admissions and stuff of high-schooler nightmares — is now said to be “optional.” Which choice best describes what today’s anxious applicant should do?
A) Skip the test and gleefully break No. 2 pencils
B) Take the exam and show off a perfect 1600
C) Prep, test and re-test to bump up meh scores
D) Keep reading this article
The correct answer, maddeningly, depends on the applicant and, more maddeningly, on which college whisperer you talk to.
As deadlines loom for the Class of 2027 — Jan. 1 is the big day at many top institutions — American higher ed is in the middle of a grand experiment in “test-optional” admissions. Many kids (and their parents) are struggling to make sense of it all, admissions officers say.
Fact is, the SAT and its sibling, the ACT, have been falling out of favor for a while. Studies have shown that white and Asian-American students, and wealthier ones, tend to score higher on the standardized tests than other cohorts. Colleges have been trying to level the field to attract diverse students. Common Application, the nonprofit behind the standardized application form, recently revealed data showing that 48% of students who applied early to college this fall submitted test scores.