Welcome "Test Flexible" to the Admissions Requirements Smorgasbord!

No sooner did I schedule my recent blog post about recent changes to college’s testing policies, another two bombshells dropped.  The University of Michigan dropped its test flexible policy in favor of a test optional approach.  Yale University, which had been test-optional, became “test flexible.” Ay, caramba!  As an SAT tutor and college counselor, it’s tough for me to keep track of the ever-changing admissions requirements.  For students and parents, it’s near impossible.  So, I’m doing it for you. What follows is a primer on the most important terms in the testing landscape today.

College Counselor Definition #1: Test Blind

Test blind institutions will not consider an applicant’s SAT or ACT scores – “even if it’s…perfect….” This verbiage comes from Hampshire College, which has long eschewed the use of SAT and ACT scores in its admissions process.  Others, like the entire University of California system, went test blind during the pandemic.  At UC schools, “SAT or ACT test scores [are not considered] when making admissions decisions or awarding Regents and Chancellor’s scholarships.” The timing of this decision coincided with the difficulty of finding open test centers during 2020.  However, a 2019 lawsuit was the actual catalyst. 

Original image by Tingley Law on Unsplash / Altered by Dominique Padurano on Canva

College Counselor Definition #2: Test Flexible

A relatively new arrival in the smorgasbord of testing policy terms, test flexible means students must supply a score, but they can choose which score(s). Instead of limiting students to the SAT or ACT, Yale allows them to submit Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) test scores instead. (Notably, students who choose AP or IB must submit every single subject test score taken prior to applying.)  Like its Ivy League counterpart, Dartmouth, Yale argues that its pandemic-era test optional policy failed to identify applicants from lower-income families.  Its adoption of the test flexible policy aims to better attract and “evaluat[e] students who attend high schools with fewer academic resources or college preparatory courses.”

In case you haven’t had your fill, next week, I’ll define test optional and test required.  So stay tuned!  In the meantime, If you decide that you want or need to prepare for the ACT, the SAT, or any AP or IB exam, please feel free to drop me a line to ask how Crimson Coaching can help.