Should I apply test optional?Answered
Freshman year was interrupted with the pandemic and sophomore year was tough to get back into the swing of things and as a senior now, I am taking the ACT one more time because my scores didn't come out as well as I thought. My test is in September, but some college apps have already opened. Should I be applying with my old act score and then updating it when my new score comes? Or is it possible for me to apply test optional and then submit scores as they come in? I was also considering just waiting until the scores come in to apply. Is there anything in particular that I should do?
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2 answers
Hi @vrundam55,
Thank you for your question. I'm sure many seniors are in the same boat and test prepping now in hopes of getting either their SAT or ACT scores up prior to applying to college.
Like yourself, millions of applicants do not have a perfect academic record of grades or course rigor because of COVID-19 complications impacting their ability to learn and keep up. Learning loss is a real thing.
As a matter of record, I would not recommend to anyone that is hoping to improve their grades or test scores or improve their EC narrative or hasn't written the best main college essay to apply to ED or EA anywhere. Applying to a college early will not help your goals of getting into your preferred colleges if you have gaps in your common app narrative. Therefore I recommend that you fix those things first prior to applying anywhere. Do not apply early with your current ACT score and then think it okay to update it. Why? Some colleges pre-filter their applications using an academic index or test scores. So if you submit a low ACT test score, you might get knocked out prematurely and not even know it.
I'm assuming you have taken the ACT at least twice before because you said your "scores" didn't come out as well as you thought. So this is your 3rd or 4th attempt. I highly recommend that if you have time/resources$ you consider an online course like supertutortv best ACT course. It helped me gain 2 points with about a month worth of effort. Sometimes, you need someone to point out that the way you are approaching the problem is not the best use of your time and there are shortcuts.
The second part of your question is whether you can apply test optional and then submit a test score. No, you can not do this. If you apply test-optional, that is a binary and locked-and-loaded final determination on your part. Therefore, it's best to wait for your ACT test score, and hopefully it will be worth submitting to the colleges on your list. You can always opt-out of submitting your ACT score after you get your results back.
Good luck.
Hi @vrundam55!
Once you submit your scores, you're done. There is no opportunity to "update" them or submit new scores later. You'll need to decide at the time whether you want to apply test-optional or not.
I would then check your test scores against the average at each given school you're applying to and see whether they're in range (our Chancing Engine can be a great help with this). If they're in or close to that range, then send in those scores. Admissions officers will feel more comfortable with a slightly lower score than if they have no scores from the student at all.
Good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions.
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