Sally_Rubenstone

Starting with the class entering in Sept. 2010, Bryn Mawr College applicants can choose among several test options:

-The SAT Reasoning Test and a combination of two different SAT Subject Tests and/or two AP tests or

-The ACT or

-A combination of three SAT Subject Tests and/or AP tests in the following areas:

* English, history or languages and
* Math or science and
* One subject of the student’s choice but in a subject different from the other two (only one non-English language may be submitted)

According to Bryn Mawr officials:

I especially like the final "mix-and-match" option. However, I do wish that Bryn Mawr officials also included an edict stating that applicants would NOT be ALLOWED to submit EXTRA test results. I don't want students who are submitting, say, three AP exam results to be compared to those who also submit those three AP's plus uber-high SAT's and ACT's. I'm not as anti-testing as many of my colleagues are, but I am against what the process has become, especially the arms-race mentality that spurs top students to take--and submit--an unreasonable (IMO) number of exams.

Theos Rizos

This is awesome.

I'm glad to be seeing more colleges offering more options for test taking. NYU is also having a new and similar testing policy. The traditional SAT/ACT+ Subjet tests in my opinion are obsolete simply because some people don't have access to the various tests for whatever reason. In my school district our AP exam scores are paid for, so a student who is in a harsh financial situation would benefit from this new policy because they could submit their AP exam scores, and SAT or ACT( whatever they manage to take).

NYU's policy is a nice big step to more test taking flexibility as well. Their new policy is similar, but differs because a person can submit 3 AP scores if they are in math, science, literatue, and a langauge that isn't there own.

I also agree with you Ms. Rubenstone. I hope that when schools implement this new policy, they limit it strictly to 3 or whatever set number of scores they expect to see from the various tests. Hopefully it would allow put to alleviate some of that stess, and begin start taking a reasonable amount of tests. Personally, it seems as though things are becoming even more standarized test based since my parents were in school. They often tell me about how they only had to take the SAT and that was it. :P

Anyway, neat find.

~ Theos

al6200

I have only one problem with this. Doesn't a 2350 correspond to a higher skill level than a 5 on 3 AP Tests? It seems like they should create some sort of conversion scale, where you put in your AP scores and you get a single number that corresponds to an SAT score. That way applicants understand what's going on throughout the entire process.

Debruns

Am I wrong to think they don't want to do that? I thought the whole idea was to look at different things, not just high scores on one type of test and see strengths in other areas. I know a girl who scored well on SATll's but not the SAT. She would love to submit just those.
Is there a cut-off for the AP's, just 3 and over or 4 and over?

Sally_Rubenstone

If you're talking about a cut-off for getting credit for an AP score, this will vary from college to college and even from department to department within some institutions. Typically, however, the more selective colleges will give credit for 4's and 5's (or, in some situations, only 5's) while some colleges and universities will give credit for 3 and above.

But, if your question is "What AP scores are worth submitting to Bryn Mawr in lieu of SAT or ACT results," my advice would be to select only 4's or 5's. If your other standardized test results are really bad, then you may have to go with a 3, but--unless there are some extenuating circumstance--you won't get much mileage out of a 3 at places like Bryn Mawr.

Debruns

Thanks, that is what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I heard some parents talking how not that many years ago, a 3 got credit in a lot more colleges, but once students starting taking more and more AP's, that slowly changed.
My daughter's aren't sure they want a women's college for different reasons, but probably would do one of the alternatives since their straight SAT scores will probably be not as strong as their other tests.

A Persona

I would have loved this policy last year. I did pretty well on all my exams, but admittedly, I did better on the ACT than the SAT and I got all 5s on every AP exam I took.

As great as this policy is for allowing students to send truly their 'best' score, I wonder whether it'll further push up competition. The amount of "extras" a student is expected to have is already quite startling. I am worried that students would feel pressured to become president of that tenth club because "everyone" has perfect scores now.

b@r!um

I suspect it's more of an attempt to raise the average test scores of the student body and/or attract more applicants in order to appear more selective...

tokenadult

New York University has a policy much like this.

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tonytet

I've recieved mail recently from NYU and Furman touting similar policies that go into affect for the class of 2010. Post #8 thats an interesting take on it, and while its probably not the main motivation, it is a direct result of these policies, and people should remember that when they look at schools stats that have policies like this.

Here's NYU's:

SAT I and 2 subject tests
ACT (w Writing)
SAT Reasoning test and 2 AP Scores
3 SAT Subject Tests in non-language tests (one in lit or the humanities, one in math or science, one of the student's choice)
3 AP Exam Scores (same requirements of Subject Tests)

George2007

OFFICIAL STANDARDIZED TESTING: The Admissions Committee believes that standardized testing has an important place in selective college admissions decision-making, but we believe that students should have choices. Furman applicants can meet our standardized test requirement by submitting scores choosing from one of the following options :

SAT I,
ACT (American College Testing) assessment test and optional writing test,
two SAT II subject tests - one in English, one in Math,
two AP (Advanced Placement) exams, one from English (Language and Composition or Literature and Composition) and one from Math (Calculus AB or Calculus BC),
two IB (International Baccalaureate) exams, one in English Language (A1) and one in Mathematics, or
the TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Applicants should request all test scores from the appropriate testing agency prior to the application deadlines. Candidates for admission who submit SAT and/or ACT scores must also submit a standardized writing score.

The Admissions Committee will select the scores that offer the student the greatest advantage in the admissions review process (meaning the highest score) if a student were to submit multiple test results.


Furman's school codes are 5222 for the SAT & TOEFL and 3858 for the ACT.

bimachris

NYU did it first.

bartleby

APs are a superior test to SAT-II. Even if your school doesn't offer them, they're eminently accessible for self-studying (if you're thinking of going to an elite college, at least.) Any move towards using them for admissions purposes is a positive.

Keilexandra

APs are significantly more expensive than SAT-IIs (fee waivers are equally easy/difficult to get). Their usual tie to HS courses also makes then LESS accessible to low-income students, many of whom would never think of self-studying for an AP.

sg12

Not a fan. If you get about 70% right on most APs, then you get a five. This system does not provide a way for the college to distinguish the 70th percentile from the 95th percentile. This is going to punish those whose test scores are the brightest aspect of their application.