In a quick one-two-three punch, UPenn joined Columbia and Dartmouth on June 4th in announcing that they would become test-optional for the next year, in response to the College Board’s announcement that they will not be pursuing an online SAT option. While not surprising, as UPenn announced in mid-May that they were shifting their policy on SAT Subject Tests from recommended to “optional,” (along with Brown) we want to dive into what this further step means for applicants.
Penn’s statement is among the more gentle and generous of the lot of highly-competitive schools that have shifted from required to optional standardized testing for this upcoming application season. Their statement even goes so far as to say, “Penn Admissions acknowledges the benefits and limitations built into standardized tests.” Two points for getting this announcement reviewed by someone who was brave enough to approve and/or use this language. We’ve written a lot about how flawed we believe the standardized testing system to be (even more so in non-COVID times), so in some ways we’re optimistic, but that doesn’t mean that it’s completely irrelevant.
What we’ll say about Penn’s new policy is similar to what we’ve said in past posts, but that bears repeating because of how important it is to conceptualize right now. Testing is not irrelevant. Penn did not say that even if students submit scores, that they will be deleted, chucked away, and not considered. If that was the case, we’d be truly impressed and doing a happy dance. That is not what they said. They said that:
“Penn Admissions will continue to review students, on an individual basis, consistent with our belief in a comprehensive whole-person review process.”
So, we’re going to echo our own past advice and say that, if you have strong test scores, definitely plan to still submit them. And if you believe that you will be able to sit for an exam and do quite well on it (or if you’re planning to retake the exam in the fall and feel prepared), move forward with that plan because the evidence that you are able to apply your knowledge in a testing environment will ultimately help you. We don’t buy Penn’s claim that, if all things are equal, students will not be at a disadvantage if they do not submit testing (their words were: “Applicants who do not submit SAT or ACT scores will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process”). If Student A and Student B have reasonably identical profiles, and one has a stellar ACT score, who do you think Penn would choose? More is more, and that hasn’t gone away.
What we will say is that this is an opportunity to focus the energy you might have spent on re-taking a test to try to up your score a bit, and to use that to make your essay the most stellar piece of writing you’ve ever produced. Without testing, the other parts of your application matter more. We remain steadfast in our belief that the essay is the most important component of your application. Always has been, and always will be. Spending too much time and energy on testing results in diminishing returns. And right now, we are all short on willpower, motivation, focus, and energy. So allocate wisely and intentionally.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions on the above or about something else completely.