Test-optional policyAnswered
I am an international student, and I would like to know about the test-optional policy. I live in a small town, and it is really far away from the city where the SATs are conducted (like 7 hrs away). The covid-19 cases in my country are growing rapidly. So, it is hard for me to travel and take the tests. I am in the top 5% of my class, and I have good ECs too.
I am curious whether I will have the same chance of getting admitted with a student who has taken SAT from my country? Does applying test-optional lower my chances of getting admitted?
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3 answers
Hi there @Haneesha,
While there is evidence that students with the same profile (as in, other factors held constant) were more likely to get into their prospective school, this does not mean that you need to take a test to get into your dream school.
You should prioritize your safety and that of your family first, and not risk yourself in any way to take a standardized test. Colleges are aware of the circumstances brought about by COVID-19, and adopted these policies in part to account for students in situations like yours.
I would recommend that you take measures to ensure the rest of your application is up to par in order to give the university more strong data points on which to evaluate you on. You can also include any relevant information in the Additional Information section of your application, mention COVID complications in your essays, or provide evidence that you used the time you could have spent studying on other productive ventures during the pandemic.
Hope this helps!
If you apply test-optional then yes, you will have less of a chance than a student that submitted their test, but if you have really good grades and a strong extracurricular resume, then you will still have a good chance of your application being accepted. If you can, then you should take the SAT, ACT, or CLT, but if not then you need to rely on your good grades and a strong resume. Applying test-optional is not a guarantee that you won't be accepted. Good luck, hope this helps!
So the tests are optional and will not change your acceptance chance.
Although if you took the tests, and think its a strong representation as you as a student, I would recommend submitting it.
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