Gosh, no insult intended! I was using “lucky” in the same way parents on soccer sidelines use “unlucky” when a play doesn’t go as intended 
(That is, that’s what we say, even though the reason the play went badly was entirely due to the player’s lack of skill – but in this case, the “lucky” referred to the student’s skill).
The vast majority of students don’t take the SAT/ACT before spring of junior year. Most students don’t have any scores yet. If the test companies don’t figure out a way to administer tests to those students, colleges will have no choice but to go test optional. If they do start testing again by the end of summer then maybe it won’t be necessary.
@me29034 Not disagreeing with you but I have never seen this and it is very different than what we see locally. Do you have a link to this information as I would be interested in seeing it.
Haven’t seen what? I’m not sure what part of my post you are questioning? Are you asking about when students do testing? No I don’t have a link but I know our high school doesn’t even introduce the fact that you need to take these tests until about Feb of junior year. Maybe hyper competitive high schools have cultures of earlier testing but I can’t imagine most places are like that.
@me29034 I agree, most kids absolutely don’t take these exams before spring of Junior year. My son did b/c he’s hoping to be recruited and so his timeline is earlier than most. But I know kids committed to top D1 schools who do not have test scores yet (they were signed up to take the SAT in March, which was then cancelled).
I would not worry too much about the testing. If testing is widely available then the situation will be basically the same as every other year. If testing is not widely available there are few to no schools that will require what is impossible.
Even if ACT has been working on online option and could throw something together, I feel like the legitimacy of the testing would be thrown off if not taken in a proctored environment testing site. Someone upthread mentioned psat scores. I wonder if AOs will want to see past state standardized tests. I noticed that Ds HS show her standardized reading test scores for several years, science for 2019, but no math score. I think I’ll ask the college counselor about why no math standardized test score on transcript. Seeing standardized testing throughout Hs school years could actually be a more accurate look at student?
I was referring to the timing of testing. As I wrote, most kids in our area typically take the SAT for the first time in 10th or at latest early 11th. I would say most are competitive, certainly not hypercompetitive. I can see that “most” US kids probably take late in 11th but I was not referring to them.
“You mean top schools like UChicago and Berkeley? Both test optional for next year (and Chicago for always).”
Ok but UC still reported that 85-90% of their applicants submitted scores and went on to report that their ACT and SAT middle 50% of 33-35 and 1500-1560. True test optional means that scores aren’t reported and a message similar to MIT wrt subject tests, don’t bother sending, we won’t even look at them. Chicago is clearly looking at test scores, you don’t randomly get a class like they do.
That’s called test-blind, not test optional. Don’t see that happening at many colleges, there are only two currently in the US
ACT is not throwing something together…the section tests starting in September were always going to be online only. They have been working on this for years. With that said, I have no idea how, or if, things will go as planned!
Many HSs don’t put standardized test scores on transcripts, and some schools that do will remove them if asked. Most colleges don’t care to see an entire testing history for a student because it’s not meaningful in terms of helping them decide which students are most likely to succeed at X college. Courses, rigor, and grades are much more important and most holistic reviewing schools weight the various components as such.
That is not “test optional”, since there is no option to have them used. That is “test not considered”.
There are other selective colleges that are test-does-not-matter for some classes of applicants (e.g. where a high enough HS GPA or rank gives automatic admission regardless of test score).
(Obviously, open admission (non-selective) colleges do not care what test scores you have or do not have.)
I don’t think all schools will become test optional for this year, unless all subsequent tests for the rest of the year are cancelled. However, test scores will be less of a factor this year even at schools that still require these tests.
@Mwfan1921 i guess when I say thrown together,I am mostly referring to not being tested on site…I can only guess that any tests designed did not have home testing in mind? I think a student’s past progression…as in upward trend would be a good indicator of future success, but that is just an opinion. I’m not in an education profession. I hope some with college admissions experience will chime in.
The issue with testing isn’t online vs offline… it is at home vs at a proctored site.
@Mwfan1921 I know the AP best will be at home–where did you hear that the SAT might be an at-home test in the fall?
This is my opinion only: I believe that this was a trend gaining traction anyways. I believe that a lot of need aware schools already doing this as were a lot of schools that do not meet full need. By getting more applicants, whose test scores would ordinarily preclude them from admissions, there can be a bigger pool or full pay or more able to pay students.
One of my kids went test optional with a group of schools some time ago. He was accepted to a number of schools— no financial aid Requested. Friend and cousin with comparable grades and test scores over the schools’ medians were all denied or waitlisted. They applied for aid. Though it would be most flattering to believe that son’s other attributes were what made the difference, I really do wonder if full pay status didn’t enter into the picture.
This would open up the field for getting more full pay students.
I completely agree with this. It benefits the schools to pull in more full pay applicants. If they combine this with ED1 and ED2, it will also improve yield which will be important this next round as well.
I respectfully highly disagree.
I just don’t think it would feasibly occur and be possible to go with optional testing for 2021. There has to be another alternative to deal with the current situation we are in.