3 ms·

You can even go to many colleges without the sat (nothing prestigious ofc)

• unishark 7y ago
  Many top schools are no longer requiring test scores in fact. There is an argument that the test itself is somehow biased against under-represented groups. Also, less nobly, if a school makes test scores optional, their average test scores increase (which is a factor in rankings) since students will only submit them if they have good scores.
  • saagarjha 7y ago
    > Many top schools are no longer requiring test scores in fact. When I applied to college, there were a number of schools that has something that was “optional” but word on the street was that you’d have no hope of getting in without it. How “optional” are these, really?
    • iends 7y ago
      It’s probably like a lot of companies that offer remote work: if you have demonstrated already you are world class, they’ll make exceptions.
      • saagarjha 7y ago
        FWIW, all the people I know who went to “world class” universities did all the “optional” things.
    • unishark 7y ago
      I have been on admissions committees and there is of course the possibility in your mind that students who did not submit scores probably had bad ones. I certainly prefer having scores. But when tests are optional, plenty people will also just want to save the $50 or whatever it costs to take the thing. Particularly from poorer families. So you can't be sure and hate to reject a super candidate on this reason alone. Also there's always some people in admissions who are adamantly anti-test anyway. They do look deeper into the high school's reputation and individual course grades to make up the missing info that the test would have provided.