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SAT Optional Schools Not Always Easy Schools

It has been 30 years since I was a highapplicant in all but the most selective
school senior, but I had to take the SATsschools, where admissions officers must split
just as 11th and 12th graders do now. I didfine hairs to make a decision-and that
okay, but not good enough to get into my twodecision is likely to be based on something
first choice schools. Back then, I blamed theother  than  SATs.
SATs and called them unfair, but life went
on. I graduated happily in four years fromFairtest.org, a non-profit education advocacy
the  school  I  chose.group, reported that 704 U.S. colleges and
universities do not require the SAT for
I am no better qualified to evaluate theadmissions purposes. However, the same
validity of the SAT today than I was in highorganization reports that some schools still
school, but I know that the test is still ause the test results to evaluate applicants
fact of life. I also learned that studentswho do not meet their minimum criteria for
who performed at a high level in allclass rank and grade point average; this
college-prep subjects usually scored high onincludes flagship state universities such as
the SATs. That is a very small segment of athe University of Texas-Austin (except
high school graduating class; it is theengineering), the University of Iowa and the
people at the very top. Most of us hadUniversity of Oregon. In addition, some
difficulty with a subject or two. SciencesSAT-optional schools still use the SAT to
were my weak point in high school and Iplace students into freshman-level courses.
avoided  them  in  college.It's wise to get specifics from the schools
of interest to you before deciding to avoid
The people who did the best on these teststhe  test.
were well read, studied Latin and also
achieved excellence in math. I took fourWho benefits from an SAT optional policy at a
years of math, through pre-calculus; I wascompetitive four-year college? The students
doing math problems every day at school, so Iwith good to excellent grades in college-prep
was adequately prepared for SAT math.subjects, who are also exceptional or
However, I was not the reader I am today, norpassionate, about an academic subject or a
did I have a large vocabulary, so my verbalcreative pursuit. Such talents can be
scores were not so hot. When I got todemonstrated in the application packet,
college, I met someone who had scored overrecommendations, a portfolio, or interviews,
700 on the verbal portions of the test. "Thebut  not  on  the  SATs.
SAT vocabulary was easy," he said, "if you
knew Latin roots." He had three years ofThe SAT optional policy makes admissions more
Catholic school Latin under his belt, so hiscompetitive, because it will attract larger
education gave him an advantage. I will notnumbers of qualified applicants. Every
call that an unfair advantage; he still hadcompetitive college wants their fair share of
to  remember  all  those  roots for the test.artists, performers, activists, scientists,
and even athletes in their entering class;
I got a better understanding of readingsome are willing to deemphasize standardized
comprehension, an important part of the SAT,tests to get them. While an SAT optional
when I took my GMATs for business school. Mypolicy will lessen the likelihood an
Princeton Review tutor warned usapplicant is rejected because of test scores,
non-scientists about the science essays onthe applicant must be exceptional in some
the exam; she pointed to the "caffeineother  way  to  compensate.
passage from hell," an essay on the chemical
composition of coffee, to make her point. IfIf you want to take a shot at an SAT optional
you had done poorly in chemistry, your eyesschool, and you have to contend with SAT
would glaze over that essay and you werescores below the school's average, take the
likely to get the questions wrong. If you didtime and attention to prepare an exceptional
well in the sciences, and understood theapplication that stands out from the crowd,
passage, you could get those questions right.and show that each school is your first
choice.
What is my point? The best students, the ones
who do well in every subject, should haveThe line of applicants to SAT optional
little to fear from the SATs. They shouldselective schools and flagship universities
score well enough to get into an excellentwill be getting longer every year. It will be
school. Especially if they are well read, doharder to stand out in a larger applicant
math every day and bone up on their Latin, ifpool.
they have the chance. That will land an



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