To Submit or Not to Submit (Your Test Scores)?
I’m sure that, when William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, he didn’t expect his famous phrase “to be or not to be” would be used for a blog article about college admission testing. But here we are. And, for some, it’s a legitimately stressful question to answer. After all, are test optional schools actually test optional? Or are test scores *wink wink* secretly recommended? Isn’t more information always better? Not necessarily. I know that the admission process can seem obscure, but I encourage you to take schools at their word. If they say they’re test optional, then they truly are.
So, when should you submit your test scores?
You should submit your test scores if you’re proud of them and want to show them off to us. What we see on your high school transcript will always be more important than how you performed on the SAT or ACT. A strong score only corroborates the information we see on your transcript.
If you do submit your test scores, know that we’ll be thinking about them thoughtfully. At USC, we do a full week of training before we start reading applications each year. Each cycle, we talk about the appropriate use of test scores. Now, I’m not here to extol the virtues or detail the problems with standardized testing. That’s a whole other article—and a lengthy one at that. What I will say is that they only reveal part of a student’s potential to do well during their first year in college—which is actually what USC uses testing to understand. (We do research on this.) So, it’s not to determine a student’s “aptitude” or “raw potential”. Fun/tricky question: What does “SAT” stand for? The first time I was asked this question I responded with, “Scholastic Aptitude Test”. Obvious, right? Nope. It stands for SAT. By the way, according to USC’s research on the subject, test scores are more statistically relevant when looked at in combination with the preparation reflected on the high school transcript. They’re not nearly as helpful when considered in a vacuum.
Here's the technical stuff if you decide to submit your test scores: USC records the highest scores from tests taken more than once. The highest scores for each section of the SAT and ACT exams will be recorded, even if achieved in different sittings. USC does not require the Writing section for either the ACT or the SAT.
So, what happens if you don’t submit your test scores?
No big deal. Really. We won’t think that you’re trying to hide a bad score. We know that there may be many reasons you might not have taken the SAT or ACT (time, finances, other resources, etcetera). Or maybe you don’t feel that your score reflects your best work. Whatever the reason, don’t overthink it. We don’t. We have lots of other materials to consider, including not just “quantitative” factors such as your GPA, but also more “qualitative” elements such as your essay, short answer, activities list and letter of recommendation. We will get to learn so much about you thanks to the other elements of your application—and we feel comfortable making admission and scholarship decisions without test scores. In fact, only 50% of last year’s admits submitted their test scores. I can assure you that you won’t be at a disadvantage if you don’t submit your ACT or SAT. Read more about our test optional policy on our website.
So, to submit or not to submit your test scores? We leave that decision to you. And we respect whatever decision you make.
Written by: Anne Aubert-Santelli, Associate Director - USC Office of Undergraduate Admission