The effect of the pandemic has been felt by universities and students alike. We take a look at the changing admissions landscape caused by colleges adopting a test-optional policy.
This application season, highly selective US universities received record-breaking numbers of applicants as more students applied to top ranked universities than ever before. Students who might not have had the opportunity to test or who were dissatisfied with their scores – but had otherwise stellar academic records – were emboldened to apply to additional “reach” schools. The Common Application reported in February that it had processed nearly 6 million first-year applications for its returning member schools, up 11 percent from last year. However, there were little more than 1 million unique applicants, indicating that there was not a significant increase in the number of applicants; instead, each student was applying to more schools than in previous years.
For students dreaming of attending highly selective universities, the opportunity to apply without test scores meant they could focus on other parts of their applications that demonstrated their leadership qualities, academic rigor, community involvement, and intellectual curiosity. As universities were required to take a more holistic view of applicants, those students who could shine in other areas of their applications were at an advantage over those who were relying on test scores alone to differentiate themselves.
That said, Early Decision and Early Action applications rose again this year, with many universities accepting more than 50% of their incoming class through ED1/ED2 rounds. Moreover, competitive schools like Georgetown continued to show a preference for applicants who submitted test scores. While Georgetown’s overall acceptance rate for early applicants was 10.8%, the acceptance rates for students without test scores was 7.34%, indicating that students who submitted test scores were admitted at a higher rate than those who did not. The University of Pennsylvania’s early admission numbers suggested as much as a 23% advantage for test submitters.
Of course, a larger number of applications to highly selective schools also meant a greater number of applicants were denied admission. For example, MIT experienced a 66% increase in applications this year. It offered admission to only 4% of applicants, down from a 7% acceptance rate last year. Top public universities experienced similar changes. The University of Virginia’s applications increased by 15%, and only 21% of its applicants were offered admission. Furthermore, though 42% of UVA applicants chose not to submit testing, only 28% of admitted students had omitted test scores. With uncertainty about the number of applicants who would accept offers of admission, UVA and many other universities set up larger wait lists this year than in previous years.
While much of the focus has been on Ivy League and other highly selective universities, other less selective colleges and universities have experienced a reduction in applications and are scrambling to fill seats. This would indicate that students who would either prefer smaller, mid-level universities or who have solid (but not stellar) academic records may have greater opportunities at some of these less selective institutions.
For our juniors who are deciding whether or not to test, consider that strong test scores could give you an advantage over other similarly qualified applicants who choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores. Also, if you would like to be considered for merit scholarships, keep in mind that many universities and colleges (even those that are test optional) utilize SAT or ACT scores to determine eligibility.
The test-optional movement has opened doors for many students from traditionally underrepresented groups and has contributed to greater diversity in the incoming freshman class for many universities. This is good news for many students as a number of universities in the US have announced an extension of test optional policies for another two years. In the end, though, testing continues to help students to be more competitive for the most selective universities in the US.
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