What do test-optional colleges & universities want, how do I find out a college's secret formula, and do admissions officers lie or sabotage student's applications
This is an excerpt from our big test-optional question-and-answer post. Read that here
What do test-optional Colleges and universities want, what are test-optional colleges and universities looking for
The best way to explain this is to give you examples.
Say your high school has a specialized science program with a lot of advanced science classes. Some school in another area does not have that program. The student who is at the other high school without that program would never be penalized for not participating right?
If you decided to take AP Chemistry do you think you would be penalized for not submitting an AP Environmental Science score to a college or do you expect them to review your application with the AP Chemistry score you do have without focusing on the AP Environmental Science score you do not have?
Colleges and Universities are looking for what they are always looking for a sense of what you are capable of in and outside of the classroom.
What impact do do you have at school and in your community? They are not looking for something MORE or new when you apply test-optional
You aren’t at a deficit because you decided not to submit an SAT or ACT score. You don’t need to “make up lost points,”
The choice to take the test or not take the test, submit SAT and ACT scores or not submit SAT and ACT scores is similar to the decision to take AP Chemistry instead of AP Environmental Science or to submit an AP score or not submit an AP score (yes, I have had students get a low AP score, not submit the score and STILL get into college as well). It is similar to the decision to submit an application BEFORE your first or second quarter grades or in or wait so colleges can see you in the best list.
A lot of people pretend test-optional is NEW or different. It is not. You are already making decisions on what classes to take, what classes to avoid, which classes put you in the best light, which teachers to ask recommendations for, what AP scores to submit. In all of those cases, you are making decisions that are in your own best interest. When you make decisions for admissions they should not be out of fear but with empowerment.
Every decision with admissions should make you feel MORE confident not less.
How do I find out what a college or university wants or what they are looking for if I apply test-optional- how to find out what colleges and universities actually want & what factors they consider
Again, they are not looking for anything new because you decided to apply test-optional. The rubric does not change. If you aren’t sure what a college is looking for now that they are letting you apply test-optional there are two ways to find out
Ask the admissions officer
Google “Common Data set [insert name of college]”- the common data set for last year’s round of admissions tends to come out in October. Remember what colleges were looking for in 2019-2020 and what they prioritized MAY have changed over the pandemic. I would wait until last year’s
The common data set tells you what a college is looking at for admissions. In fact, a common data set tells you EVERYTHING a college is looking for in admissions. It tells you the factors being considered for admissions AND how they rank. Want to know if a college finds an admission essay to be “very important, important, considered, not considered” the common data set tells you that. Want to know if class rank matters, GPA, recommendations matter. The common data set tells you that. Want to know how important standardized test scores are, the common data set tells you that.
In fact, do you want to know how many students were admitted with your GPA and how many were admitted with certain SAT and ACT scores- the common data set tells you that
How do I find a college or University’s secret admissions formula
Again, google the common data set. Colleges that release their common data set tell you exactly what they care about and what they don’t care about. Also, again, ask them. Wait until the common data set comes out for last year (October or later) then ask college admissions representatives what they value the most and say “I heard XYZ factor is important- why does that matter so much to you all”
Are admissions officers really going to answer my questions- How do I know they won’t lie
Yes, they will answer your questions. They don’t have to lie to you. At all… ever… why? I could give you the entire formula for a successful admissions package at a college. Tell you what classes to take, what to write your essays about, what matters and what doesn’t and at the end of the day it will come down to whether the college agrees after seeing all that you’re a good fit OR says you are not a good fit or you are a good fit but we already have too many students like (insert your name).
I bet you know someone who you thought was a shoo-in for a certain college or university. Then you found out they did not get in. Happens all the time.
Admissions officers don’t need to lie because they don’t need to protect their secrets. They can put them all out there AND tell you the truth. They can believe you have a good shot but then realize, based on what they are seeing in the course of the application season, that you would not be a good fit for the current class.
Why lie? They want you to be successful and put the best application possible so they can determine WITH THE BEST APPLICATION if you’re a good fit. They have no reason to sabotage anyone.
Do they over-exaggerate- yes. Do they oversell- yes. Do they market their college- yes. Are they trying to get you to apply- of course. But do they lie… I mean if they do it would not be over whether you should apply test-optional or if essays matter. They may say “we don’t know what we want” when they have a good sense or “if you aren’t sure, apply” when they know your grades may be a little lower than they may accept, or “legacies have the same shot as everyone” when that may not be true.
But they don’t tend to lie about what they are looking for because they don’t want to have to read a bad application or review things they don’t need to. I am not saying they are the MOST HONEST PEOPLE. I am saying- they have no incentive to lie to you about what they want to see on a college application they will be forced to review.
But people say college admissions officers lie to you
Are those people selling you a package where only they have the truth… they know the formula. They can give it to you?
Again, ask why would an admissions officer care SO much about you (specifically you…) that they would see you as a threat and want to sabotage your application? If they have a grudge against you they can just reject you. But if they are caught lying about what they want they could lose their job. No one is risking their job to lie to you when they can just reject you.
Make sense?