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28 October 2022

Selective Colleges with Low Test Submission Rates

Posted in Your College List, Standardized Testing, Class of 2027

testbrokenpencilAs you evaluate whether or not to submit test scores with your application, consider not only the strength of your score(s), but also the degree to which colleges of interest have embraced students without test scores.

While the colleges themselves have not been particularly forthcoming about the impact of test score submission on admission rate, the latest version of the Common Data Set (CDS) does make it possible to get a sense for the mix of the Fall 2021 entering class that submitted test scores. If 90% of the entering class submitted test scores, applying test-optional may be risky. On the flip side, if 10% of the entering class submitted test scores, you can feel pretty comfortable that applying test-optional won't put your application at risk.

This post focuses on selective, test-optional institutions where a low percentage of the Fall 2021 entering class submitted test scores. In other words, places where you can feel more comfortable applying test-optional.

Note: because the Common Data Set reports the percentage submitting SAT and percentage submitting ACT but NOT the percentage submitting both, we report the results in the form of a range and an index that represents the midpoint of that range. Each school listed has an admit rate of 50 percent or less and an index of 33 percent or lower.

Click on Continue Reading to see the list.

 


 

Selective Colleges with Low Test Submission Rates (Class of 2025)

College Kickstart LLC

Institution Admit Rate % of Entering Class
with Test Scores
Index
Trinity College 38% 11-16% 14%
Connecticut College 41% 12-22% 17%
Clark University 48% 17-22% 20%
State University of New York - New Paltz 46% 18-22% 20%
Loyola Marymount University 46% 18-32% 25%
University of Rochester 41% 22-29% 26%
New York University 13% 23-32% 28%
Hampden-Sydney College 37% 19-36% 28%
Skidmore College 31% 26-37% 32%
Howard University 35% 27-37% 32%

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