Do My Test Scores Matter?

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SAT. ACT. TOEFL. PSAT. These tests loom large in the college admissions process. And yet, every student seems to be asking these days, “do my test scores matter?” No other aspect of the college preparation process generates as many questions—and anxieties—as the standardized tests.

On the one hand, you should not tress too much about your scores. They are only one element of the entire application, and other elements are generally more important. Based on an annual survey by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), only 45.7% of colleges and universities view scores on the standardized tests to be of “considerable importance”.  Bear in mindMore colleges and universities cite grades in college prep courses (73.2%). And the strength of the high school curriculum (62.1%) as “considerably important.” (Figures are from the State of College Admissions 2019 – which came out before the pandemic).

Do my test scores matter?  Less than you think, but more than you’d like.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the vast majority of colleges and universities have gone completely test optional. Originally, colleges made this change for very practical reasons:  many students simply were unable to take the tests at the time.

However, for many schools, the decision to go test optional was also a strategic one:  it made it easier for students to apply with lower test scores. The result was that more and more students applied to all sorts of universities–especially the ones at the top of the US News rankings. The effect for colleges was two-fold.  First, they did receive more applications from a wider range of students who might not have ever applied. Students with top grades and tons of human potential from low-performing high schools applied to the Ivy League and other top schools, and these schools were finally able to select from an expanded pool.  And the Ivies (and others) did choose kids from this pool, catapulting kids into the upper echelons of American society overnight.

Second, test optional policies also allowed schools to manipulate their rankings a bit. Only kids with tippy top scores submitted them, while others with average or below average scores did not. Colleges then reported the average test scores of applicants and matriculants to the ranking agencies–and these averages magically went up!  With the lower scores no longer submitted, some schools made multiple point gains in their average test scores during the pandemic.  Effectively, the policy led to cherry-picking through the willful participation of students.

Nevertheless, test “optional” does not mean the same as “test blind”. The University of California does not consider scores at all.  These schools are completely test “blind:”  no one submits them ever.  But admissions offices with “test optional” policies are delighted when you send them high test scores.  Most schools will consider you seriously if you have high scores.

This is especially true if your grades are less than stellar. If you have lousy grades, a high score can give an admissions officer some evidence that you are capable of doing college level work.  Especially at the more selective schools. Including the Ivy League, Stanford, and MIT. You clearly have a better chance of admission with a set of high test scores–especially if you come from an expensive private or boarding school, or if you attend outstanding suburban high schools noted for their educational quality and the range of academic opportunities afforded their students.

 Thus, if you have opportunity, you have the opportunity to prepare for and take the tests–and get a relatively higher score than peers in rural America, urban America, or areas of greater poverty.

Do my test scores matter if I want to apply to the Ivy League?

Yup, they do.

And for the proof that test scores still matter, one has only to look at the Common Data Set of some of the most selective universities.  Both Brown and Dartmouth listed test scores as “very important” factors in admission on their 2021-2022, post-pandemic reports.  Even Harvard, which says that ALL factors are “considered” in admission (neither important nor unimportant, but simply “considered”) ,includes test scores as one of the many factors that are part of their admissions process. The reality is that at the most competitive colleges and universities (with some exceptions, like the U of California system) still want you to have high test scores if you can present them on the application.

If you want to look at a full list of schools that are currently “test optional” or “test blind,” head on over to Fair Test, a non-profit organization that promotes the elimination of the standardized tests in the admissions process.

 

What does your GPA mean?

Do my test scores matter if I need financial aid?

Definitely.

Let’s start from this premise:  colleges and universities are businesses.  In order to operate, they need money.  Thus customers who can pay the full price of admission are highly desired in the admissions process.  And while it is true that many of the wealthiest universities in the country (e.g., the Ivy League) are generous with the students for whom they provide financial aid, the fact is that the majority of students in the Ivy League pay full price (on average:  more students pay full price at Brown than at Harvard).

So when it comes to giving out financial aid, colleges tend to be more picky about whom they give that money to.  Therefore, the more evidence an applicant provides that they are worthy of that money, the more likely that applicant is to receive it.

And a test score is evidence.  Very solid evidence. 

These scores matter even more when it comes to the awarding of financial aid and merit-based scholarships. Nearly all universities will give preferential treatment (read: more money) to those students who have both good grades and high test scores. Many colleges and universities key their merit-based scholarships directly to test scores. The higher the score, the more scholarships you may receive.

So from a dollars and cents perspective, spending a bit of money to raise your SAT or ACT score a few points higher may mean thousands more dollars in scholarships from certain universities. In some cases, even a single point on your ACT composite score can mean the difference between a scholarship of $5000 per year and $10,000 per year. If you do the math, this means that you could get $20,000 more free money for higher education just by studying a bit harder for the tests. Investments in test prep can repay themselves handsomely, depending on which colleges or universities you may be targeting.

Oh, and this is in addition to getting in:  if you want the money, you have to get in first. And a high test score–as explained–can help you do just that.

Bottom line:  your test scores matter

While standardized tests are not the only factor in college admissions, they do matter a lot. The more selective the university, the more they matter.

And if you’re looking for financial aid or merit-based scholarships, your scores on these tests may make the difference between affordable and unaffordable.
So don’t neglect to prepare. A better score means more and better options for you as you continue to navigate the entire college selection and admissions process.

How do I know whether my test scores matter for me, in particular?

While it’s great to read general principles here, you may still be wondering whether your tests scores really matter in your case. How do the test scores compare to other factors? Will a particular score help you or hurt you when applying to a specific college?  How do you know whether to submit those scores or not?  Should you take the test again (horrors!).  

The expert college admissions counselors at Great College Advice can help you navigate the uncertain waters of the entire college preparation, selection, and application process.  We can help you place your own performance on those dreaded tests in the proper perspective, and help you develop a strategy for admissions to the schools on your list.  

If you need help interpreting your scores, finding a great test prep tutor, or developing a strategy of which test you should take in order to be competitive for your preferred colleges and universities, give us a call or contact us through this website.

 

University of San Francisco–an urban, Jesuit college

University of San Francisco

What is the University of San Francisco known for? I seem to have been visiting quite a few Jesuit colleges lately and like them for a lot of reasons. I need to write a post on Jesuit colleges generally. But first, I offer this bit about what is University of San Francisco known for, which I was fortunate to be able to visit yesterday as part of a tour for college counselors.

What is University of San Francisco known for?

  1. The University of San Francisco is different from the other Jesuit college in terms of its location and the composition of the student body. USF is a school of minorities: only 24% are white. There are plenty of students from other ethnic groups, including Asian (26%) and Latino (21%) and Black (8%). But get this: 30% of the students in the Gospel Choir are white. USF is a place where students can get outside of the cultural constricts of their childhood and high school experience. Students can “mix it up,” literally. Thirty percent of students are the first in their families to go to college. Socio-economically speaking, this place is also pretty diverse: forty percent come from families who make $60k or less per year–and who are attending an institution that costs $50k per year.
  2. Who are the “majorities” at USF: Catholics 51%, and women 65% (note that the strong School of Nursing pulls this average off because 95% of schools of nursing are women). Also, 75-80% come from the Western states, though there are representatives of most states and a whole bunch of foreign countries (11% of students are international). Just over half (55%) come from California.  But California is a big state!
  3. Like most Jesuit institutions, USF is a mission-driven college. They focus on “education the whole person” and learning is considered a “humanizing social activity rather than a competitive exercise.”
  4. USF has 5,000 undergraduates, with another 3,800 graduate students. Seventy-five percent of classes have 25 students or fewer.
  5. It has a core curriculum, like most Jesuit institutions. But there are still differences. There is a total of 11 core classes, plus a class that includes a service learning component (not just a “bunch of hours”)—service learning is integrated into the classroom, making it an integration of service and learning.
  6. Admissions officers at USF encourage phone calls from both students and counselors. They do not have a “wall” between web users and the admissions staff. The admissions office representatives said repeatedly, “Pick up the phone; we’re old-fashioned.” USF also lists all the phone numbers of faculty right on the website. So if you’re interested in how good the biology department is, or what the major’s priorities are, you can just get on the horn with the chair of the department and ask.
  7. Twenty-five percent of faculty are “of color;” 45% of faculty are women. One of USF’s core values is diversity.
  8. If you are interested in the nursing program, you must apply separately, and the nursing program is very competitive. There are about 600 students in the nursing program.
  9. USF offers great scholarships for those it deems to be “high value” students:  those with a high GPA in grades 9-11. While USF is test-optional, a high score certainly wouldn’t hurt and might help you land more merit-based scholarships.
  10. Some students may opt for the Saint Ignatius Institute, an interesting Great Books program within both the Jesuit and the liberal arts traditions. SII is also a living and learning program, whereby students in the program also live together. Students read the classics of Western Civilization (Plato, Homer, Augustine, Dante, Göethe, Kafka, Borges, etc.). This program is open to all students, but spaces are limited. For students who want the “Great Books” sort of program offered at St. John’s (but who don’t want the strict focus of St. John’s), this might be a great fit.

All in all, I really enjoyed my time at USF, though I wish the weather had been warmer. It was blowing a gale, despite the fact that the sun was out. I hear that Mark Twain had this to say about this fair city (and I’m not quoting directly): “I spent the coldest winter of my life in San Francisco one summer.”

Mark Montgomery
College Counselor