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The SAT as a Strategic Tool

Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown recently reversed their Covid-influenced SAT-optional stance. Submitting SAT scores is now mandatory for all students applying to these universities. What factors should students consider for their SAT strategy? Colleges have differing policies about SAT scores
Hear all you need to know about the testing policies, and how to decide whether or not to take the SATs from our in-house expert and Senior Lead Counselor – Jonathan Wiggins, who has helped students across the globe, get into many top-tier institutions, including Brown, UPenn, Duke, Northwestern, and Emory.
Here are six types of test policies:
  • Mandatory SAT Score Submission: Requires SAT scores with college applications.
  • Test-Optional: Allows students to submit their SAT scores only if they wish to do so.
  • Selectively Test-Optional: May require SAT scores from specific categories of students such as home-schooled and international students.
  • Test Flexible: Allows for alternative tests such as AP exams, to be submitted instead of the SAT.
  • Test Blind: Will not consider SAT scores even if they are submitted.
  • Test-Optional/Test-Blind for Admissions, but Required for Enrollment: SAT scores are not considered for admissions but are used by the college for decision-making with scholarships or research purposes after enrollment.
  • Our experience with highly selective college admissions in the U.S., reveals that submitting SAT scores increases the likelihood of admission. Students should choose to include good scores with their applications. Taking the test is not a particularly risky choice. If students are not satisfied with their scores they always have the option not to submit. Students can even choose to Super-Score their results. Super-Scoring selects the highest Math and English scores from all of the student’s SAT attempts.
    The SAT can be used as a strategic tool to improve applications. Students are free to decide if the scores add to or detract from their overall profile at the time of application submission. So why not take the test?