Test Optional is Not Test Blind, Especially When it Comes to Merit $$$

Test-optional Does Not Mean Test Blind
​by Jed Applerouth, PhD on January 15, 2019 in Admissions, Jed Said, Test Prep

What does it mean for students when a college adopts a test-optional admissions policy? Does testing become irrelevant for all students applying to that institution? Not remotely. Admissions tests continue to play a pivotal role at many test-optional colleges and universities. Let’s take a closer look at these policies and how they work.

For many colleges, adopting a test-optional admissions policy can be beneficial, and and we can expect more schools to consider such policies in the future. Test-optional schools tend to see the following changes in their admissions patterns:

• An increased number of applicants, resulting in a lower (i.e., more selective) acceptance rates;
• A decrease in the number of lower-scoring incoming students with reported scores, resulting in a potential increase in the reported average test scores for admitted students.
• In some cases, increased diversity, though this finding has been challenged.

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