The total number of colleges Not Requiring ACT/SAT Exceeds 1,450 for Fall 2021 applicant.   FOr a list of colleges which are test optional test-optional for the senior class (only 2021), https://www.fairtest.org/sites/default/files/Optional-Growth-Chronology.pdf

 

We were encouraged by senior admission officers to tell students NOT to take the SAT/ACT this fall.  Some posted that we advise students- “STOP REGISTERING – if your test has been canceled over and over, stop stressing about it .  If you are already registered for an administration and it ends up being canceled, stop stressing.  You don’t need it this fall.”  Institutions with a test-optional policy, let students know they truly won’t be disadvantaged by applying without a test score. As of August 10, 2020, 416 institutions have signed the statement. These institutions signed and helped to spread the word about NACAC's statement affirming that students will not be penalized for the absence of a standardized test score for admission in Fall 2021. 

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“When reviewing an application, most admissions officers and offices I have worked with are looking for a reason to admit a student, not a reason to say no.  This is certainly true at Salve.  So, if a student's test scores give us a reason to admit a student when other factors might put that in doubt, then the test weighs to a student's advantage.  If the academic profile of a student suggests we should admit a student but the tests may not, we are going to weigh towards the academic profile.  Admissions is as much art as science, because there are so many different grading systems, school types, curricula, etc. we are considering.  A transcript from NY with a Regents curriculum and testing is very different than a transcript from Maryland... some schools weight, others do not... some schools offer AP or IB, others do not.  Ultimately, we are trying to make the best decision for both the student and the institution based around fit and promoting student success.  Sometimes that means saying no, but that is not the answer we ever go into the process wanting to make.  We want to say yes.  And we are going to use whatever information provided by a student to help us get to a yes decision.  So, test blind suggests we don't consider the tests at all if the student provides it, but I appreciate  the opportunity to consider the scores if the student wishes us too and it helps us get to yes.”

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Jim Fowler, VP for Enrollment and Management, Salve Regina University

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