All Things Test-Optional: Can students get in and get scholarships without a SAT/ACT score (Class of 2021 & Beyond)
All Things Test-Optional Class of 2021
I have a longer post on test-optional here
In the state of Virginia, there are 18 colleges that will remain test-optional (learn more here). The number grows by the day.
I spent last year and the years before the pandemic (yes, test-optional existed prior to the pandemic) learning all things test-optional. I have talked to admissions officers all over the country, hosted live discussions, and hosted students panels for the National Association of College Counselors on optional. I have been quoted in articles about test-optional.
Test-Optional is not a fad. It is also not a trick. Students get into colleges without test scores all the time and this was true before the pandemic.
I have had students get into college with test scores and without.
Can students get into college or universities without a SAT/ACT score
My students were accepted last year WITH and WITHOUT SAT/ACT scores. I found the number one thing that helped me predict a successful application was what type of classes they took- easy vs. "hard"- and their GPA.
If you are unsure where a college/university stands with test-optional- ask. If you want to know what they think about optional applications- ask.
Asking an admissions officer is the NUMBER 1 way to get the truth. I can get the truth but so can you.
Also, talk to your counselors, they know more than you think about test-optional and which students tend to be successful with certain colleges.
Can students without test scores or “bad scores” get scholarships- do you lose money applying test-optional
Yes. I have helped tons of students go to colleges and universities, receive merit aid awards, and scholarships optional
This really depends on the college/university. Most colleges have changed their policies to allow test-optional scholarships and merit aid awards to be awarded. Ask every college on your list the following question: "do I lose out on money if I apply test-optional?" They will tell you the truth. They have no reason to hide it.
At some colleges/universities, all scholarships are test-optional and merit-aid is not decided with test scores. Other colleges/universities, reserve some scholarships for students with scores. It really depends on the college/university.
There are some private scholarships that still require it but I found if you ask them to apply without a score, they tend to let you apply without a score. I had successful private scholarship winners who won without scores after receiving a waiver.
My students who applied without scores and with scores received merit aid and scholarships. We were able to secure over $850,000 in scholarships last year in our pro-bono initiatives- many of these offers were for students who applied WITHOUT scores.
We also negotiated over $10-30k off of tuition.
For me applying to colleges with generous merit-aid and negotiating financial aid is a better avenue than applying for a ton of scholarships.
How do you find colleges that are test-optional but give scholarships and merit aid?
The way I do it is this:
Look for colleges that are “test-blind” through Google. A college that is test-blind will not allow you to submit scores AT ALL. In those cases, scholarship and merit aid are not dependent on scores. Some colleges and universities that come to mind: CalTech, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), UCLA, Berkeley, St. Mary’s
Fairtest.org has a list of test-optional colleges updated for 2021 that has every college and university that went optional or test-blind but it also has a chronological list. If a college has a long standing test-optional policy (I would say pre-2019 and pre-pandemic) the chances are they have merit aid and scholarships that are available without SAT and ACT scores
Ask- again ask admissions officers “will I lose out on scholarships and merit aid if I apply test-optional?” Colleges that have scholarships and merit aid packages tied to SAT and ACT scores are transparent about it.
So should I test:
If you can secure your SAT/ACT score in 2 tests or 3 at most and you have a history of testing well then go for it. If it will not take a lot of time away from meaningful activities and school then your student should test. If testing doesn't produce too much anxiety then test.
I always say try one test and see how it goes
But if there are issues, apply test-optional.
If you live in Georgia and Florida, I recommend testing. The Bright-Future Scholarship requires it. Florida and Georgia public colleges/universities are committed to keeping the tests.