What does "test-optional" even mean?

One of the trickiest things this admissions cycle is interpreting the testing policies of various colleges.

You may have heard that many colleges have gone "test-optional" (referring to SAT and ACT tests), but that term means a lot of different things at different colleges. The language can be downright confusing in the applications.

Take this example:

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"Distinctly but fairly"... what does that even mean? Why add that language? It turns out they have a test-optional policy, in practice it's not complicated, but the language sure makes it look complicated.

Or you find colleges that call themselves "test-optional" on their admissions website, but then you click through to a special page for testing policies, and you find all these exclusions:

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Turns out, the phrase "test-optional" isn't always what it sounds like. The fine print matters.

And what to make of a college that uses this language below to describe its testing policy for the current cycle? Here's one part of their application:

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Sounds simple enough. But then it's followed by this language, in the same application:

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Huh? So then you go to that particular college's website, and it says this:

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Whoo boy. So are tests required or not? Are they waived for admissions but then later required for placement? And if so, how are they actually used for placement? (BTW, neither SAT nor ACT tests were ever intended or designed to be used for placement.)

We're still waiting for an answer from the college, stay tuned. And in case you're a recruited athlete, note that their NCAA information is outdated; the NCAA has waived the testing requirement for eligibility this cycle.

Bottom line: If you're finding this complicated, it's not you, it's them. Multiplied by hundreds of colleges.

We'll keep updating our Inline software with our translation of test-optional policies, so that you don't have to spend your time decoding mystery language. 🚀