by Noah Rosendorf ‘17

Students have been stressing over college standardized tests for more than 80 years. Teens spend months, even years, preparing for these tests. However, an increasing number of colleges are now embracing “test-optional” or “test-flexible” policies.

Test-optional means that applicants decide whether or not they want to submit SAT or ACT scores based on if they feel that their test scores accurately reflect their potential. As opposed to test-optional schools, test-flexible schools require applicants to send in test scores, but they may permit different choices in place of the traditional SAT or ACT. Colleges may ask applicants to submit AP exam scores, IB exam scores, or SAT subject tests. These test choices are used to demonstrate content proficiency and college readiness. Students who choose not to submit SAT/ ACT test scores will still be competing with those students who do submit scores.

A non-profit organization called Fair Test has the goal of ending the mishandling and use of standardized test scores. Many school officials and those at Fair Test have stated that there are issues with the tests, such as concerns about a correlation between test scores and socioeconomic status. However, some see value in the SAT or ACT beyond just their use in college admissions. “Standardized tests still serve some importance in helping students be more aware of the state of some of their basic academic levels. These tests can help students pinpoint skill sets that need to be improved prior to going to college,” said Carolyn Beins, a local SAT/ACT tutor.

The list of test-optional or flexible schools is growing rapidly. Test-optional schools in Maryland and Washington D.C. include St. John’s College, Salisbury University, American University, and Catholic University. Virginia also has an increasing number of schools that do not require standardized tests, including George Mason University, Roanoke College and Old Dominion University. Some other well-known test-optional or flexible schools include Wake Forest University, Temple University, and Franklin and Marshall College.

One reason for the move away from SAT/ACT is the concern that the tests overemphasize scores, and there is a growing consensus that grades are a more accurate indicator of college success. “If you look at a student’s performance over a larger span of time, I think that is a more accurate indicator of potential success at the collegiate level. What happens if you were feeling sick on SAT day? What if there was a family emergency the night before? These outside factors can inadvertently affect your score on test day. Does this score accurately reflect your ability? Not likely,” said, Sherwood guidance counselor, William Sartori.

Students who do not feel confident about their scores may be in luck. With more schools having test-optional policies, students are able to showcase their “whole self,” rather than focusing on standardized test results