The covid pandemic caused a plethora of issues for students, especially those in the midst of  preparing for college. Due to school closures, the SAT or ACT could not be administered safely. In order to combat this issue, colleges adopted the test-optional policy. This grants students the option to omit their SAT or ACT scores from their application. Once the covid pandemic was over, many colleges continued with the test-optional policy. Although some schools are beginning to reinstate the requirement for testing, many schools are remaining test optional for the foreseeable future. Local schools such as UMD, Towson, Goucher, Loyola, Hood, and more continue to be test optional.

Test scores, especially high ones, provide numerous benefits to an application. Each college has a range of test scores that they are looking for; if the score falls within the middle or higher end of the range, submitting it can serve as a benefit. Being within or higher than the given range would highlight academic strength and suggests academic potential. A good test score paired with a high GPA would be extremely appealing to colleges, accentuating the academic portion of an application and providing incentive on why this student would be a good fit. Test scores also provide a standardized evaluation over all applicants. Since every student gets the same test, the score can effectively compare each applicant academically despite the differences in opportunities. 

If the score does not fall within the range colleges are looking for, it may indicate poor academic performance to college admissions. A high GPA would not counteract this; a low test score could signal that a high GPA is a result of grade inflation. If other aspects of application are not strong, excluding the score could  be harmful. Colleges want to see rigor, involvement, and important experiences in a prospective student’s application. Test scores accentuate academic potential and rigor, which is an important aspect of one’s application.

Sherwood’s College and Career Navigator Jenny Davis advises students to go beyond academic rigor and get involved with meaningful activities to showcase their potential in a college setting. “What you are doing outside of school to better yourself as a human shows how they can get to know you and get an idea on what you would be like on their campus,” said Davis. 

Academics and quantitative data is not the sole focus of a student’s application. Extracurriculars, participation in class and outside of school, and taking advantage of meaningful opportunities allows colleges to grasp a greater understanding of applicants. Colleges want to know more about applicants beyond academics, and a student’s aspirations and involvement is critical information to include in an application. Every college is different; more prestigious universities put emphasis on the academic portion of an application while others may focus more on extracurriculars. A well rounded application is more important than individual factors.