Should my daughter submit SAT score to test optional SLAC

So from the data I have seen, there typically appears to be a pretty long range below the 25th where even if submitting a score isn’t helping, it isn’t hurting either. As another poster suggested, the simplest explanation for this is just that if you don’t submit, they assume you scored somewhere around there anyway.

In fact, Dartmouth’s released data suggested for advantaged applicants, it basically didn’t make a difference what you decided in any range. One interpretation of that is with advantaged applications, Dartmouth is so good at essentially predicting your score range from your other credentials plus your don’t submit decision, it basically adds little new information if you do submit.

With disadvantaged applicants, though, there was definitely a range well below their normal standards in which it appeared disadvantaged applicants WOULD benefit from submitting. In fact, it seemed to start right around 1400. Again, one interpreation is that Dartmouth just isn’t as good at predicting the scores of such applicants if they don’t submit, such that a disadvanted applicant submitting a sufficiently high score could in fact “surprise” them (note this regrettably makes sense because 1400+ test scores are way more rare among disadvantaged applicants).

Anyway, that data was too sparse to really rely on fully, but I suspect it is true that for the vast majority of colleges, and for the vast majority of applicants in the 1400+ range, it is a pretty good bet that is just not going to be low enough to be “surprisingly low”. And then for some disadvantaged applicants, it might be “surprisingly high”.

Edit: Oh, and I meant to note I think what this means is your daughter can basically just go with whatever SHE feels is her strongest application. If she is proud of her score (and it is very high!) and thinks it strengthens her application, then great, submit. If she thinks it doesn’t really represent her academic abilities and weakens her application, then don’t submit.

The virtue of doing it this way is then whatever happens, it will happen with the application you felt was strongest. Which is all you can really ask. Like if you are not accepted, it almost surely was not because of this. But still, if you feel like your application could have been stronger with the other decision, then that may still not feel great. So why do that to yourself?