Consider Test-Optional Schools as a Minority Applicant

When George Washington University announced in August that it was adopting a test-optional admissions policy, advocates of underrepresented minorities cheered.

"Many students, particularly those from historically disenfranchised populations, don't demonstrate their capacity to do college work as well on standardized tests as they do in the classroom," says Robert Schaeffer, public education director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, also known as FairTest. "Heavy reliance on test scores reduces the number of otherwise qualified kids of color and second-language speakers who are admitted."

George Washington joins Wake Forest University, Sarah Lawrence College and more than 800 other schools that are also test optional, test flexible or otherwise de-emphasize standardized tests in admissions, according to FairTest, which tracks schools with these types of admissions practices.

Temple University announced last summer it would introduce a test-optional policy that will allow most applicants to choose between submitting standardized test scores or answering a set of questions.

Farid Elhadidy chose the latter option. He graduated high school with a 3.88 GPA, he says, after taking multiple AP and honors classes, participating in his high school's soccer and swim teams, and volunteering at various places.

Learn [about highly ranked colleges that don't require standardized tests.]

He decided not to submit his SAT scores when applying to Temple. "It did not reflect on my hard work," says Elhadidy, who came to the U.S. from Egypt when he was a preteen. He was nervous about not submitting his scores, but he didn't need to be.

"I got admitted and also got a scholarship," he says.

Many scholars side with Schaeffer and believe the SAT and ACT pose an enormous barrier to applicants from underprivileged backgrounds. They encourage these prospective college students to think about applying to schools that don't factor in test scores when admitting students.

"Students from more privileged backgrounds have the opportunity to do test prep," says Jamila Everett, interim vice president for admission and financial aid at Pitzer College, which has been test optional for about 12 years. Some organizations may offer free preparation, but "overall it's a very expensive endeavor."

During Pitzer's last admissions cycle, 49 percent of applicants did not submit test scores, she says.

Household income can also factor into how well someone does on standardized tests.

There's a high correlation with testing and race, and with testing and parental educational attainment, says Deb Shaver, the dean of admission at the all-women's Smith College, which announced its test-optional policy in 2008.

"The highest correlation with the SAT is with family income," she says.

Inquire [about these campus issues when visiting schools as a minority applicant.]

Students from households that annually bring in $200,000 or more score, on average, 100 points higher in the critical reading and math sections than students from households that make between $20,000 and $40,000 a year, according to research from the College Board, which administers the SAT. The data is also grim when comparing test-takers whose parents only have a high school diploma with those whose parents have a graduate degree.

Test-optional schools usually aim to use their policies to create more diverse college campuses, but some say giving students leeway with submitting scores isn't always enough.

Liberal arts colleges that are test optional enrolled a lower proportion of Pell Grant recipients and underrepresented minorities, on average, than test-requiring institutions, according to a 2014 report.

Smith College and Pitzer, both National Liberal Arts Colleges, however, have made strides.

"We had a 3% increase in the number of students of color in the class the year we implemented the test-optional policy; and another 3% increase the following year," Shaver wrote in an email. In the 12 years since Pitzer went test optional, there's been a 58 percent increase in students from underrepresented backgrounds, says Everett.

Find schools [that support minorities and women who are interested in STEM majors.]

Minority applicants should think carefully about when to submit scores, experts say.

"Does she want to be defined by the test?" says Shaver. If their test scores are consistent with their academic record, submitting it can't hurt.

Students who have scores on the high end, Schaeffer says, may also benefit from submitting scores. If their scores are more middle range or lower, they probably shouldn't submit, he says.

Applicants should also remember that they can shine without the SAT or ACT, experts say.

"The first characteristic all schools look at, whether or not they require test scores, is academic performance in the high school classroom," says Schaeffer.

Schools also consider how teachers view applicants.

"Letters of recommendations from counselors and teachers are very important," says William N. Black, senior vice provost for enrollment management at Temple. "They really round out the student and sometimes give us insight into a student that they themselves may miss or not consider important."

And what happens outside of class can also help students to get positive approval from an admissions committee.

"We always look at the kinds of activities and engagement with community that students have," Black says.

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Delece Smith-Barrow is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering graduate schools. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at dsmithbarrow@usnews.com.