Not sure whether to submit test scores for your student?
Technically, yes. You don't have to submit scores.
Practically, it's more complicated than that.
Whether to submit depends on your scores, the school, and what the rest of your application looks like.
Submit scores if they're at or above the school's 50th percentile for admitted students. Withhold them if they're significantly below.
The threshold isn't the same at every school. A 1350 SAT might be worth submitting at one school and worth withholding at another.
The decision is school-specific, not universal.
Test-optional means you won't be penalized for not submitting. It doesn't mean scores are irrelevant. Strong scores still help. The question is whether your scores are strong enough to help rather than hurt.
Many families compare their student's scores to the school's overall acceptance range. But the relevant comparison is the scores of students who were admitted — not the full applicant pool. Those numbers are different.
If you don't submit scores, admissions officers will weight other parts of your application more heavily. If those other parts are strong, that's fine. If they're not, withholding scores doesn't help you.
The right call at one school may be the wrong call at another. This decision needs to be made school by school, not once for the entire list.
This is exactly where families get stuck.
Get real answers when it matters.
The question isn't “should I submit scores?” The question is “do my scores help or hurt my application at this specific school?”
If your scores are at or above the 50th percentile of admitted students, submit them. They add evidence of academic ability.
If your scores are significantly below the 50th percentile, withholding them is usually the right call. You're not hiding anything — you're just not adding a data point that works against you.
The rule of thumb:
If your score is in the top half of admitted students at that school, submit it. If it's in the bottom quarter, withhold it. If it's in between, it depends on the rest of your application.
The school has returned to requiring scores
Several schools that went test-optional during COVID have returned to requiring scores. Always check the current policy for each school on your list.
Your student is applying for merit aid
Some merit scholarships require test scores even at test-optional schools. Check scholarship requirements separately from admissions requirements.
Your student's GPA is also below median
If both GPA and test scores are below median, the calculus changes. You need to understand what's actually competitive for that school.
The school is highly selective
At schools with sub-15% acceptance rates, the admitted pool is so strong that withholding scores may signal weakness. The decision is more nuanced at these schools.
The test-optional decision is different for every student and every school. There's no universal answer.
College Counselor On Demand gives you a real counselor who can look at your student's specific scores, the specific schools on your list, and tell you what to submit and what to withhold.
School by school. Based on your student's actual situation.
Get a real answer on whether to submit scores — school by school.
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