How Test-Optional Policies Harm High-Achieving Disadvantaged Students

Colleges’ move toward test-optional admissions policies—spurred on by COVID-related disruptions—was meant to increase access and equity in college admissions. However, a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) suggests that these policies may unintentionally harm high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Study Overview

The study analyzed applicants and enrolled students at Dartmouth College across four admission cycles:

• 2017 and 2018 (when SAT/ACT scores were required)

• 2021 and 2022 (when Dartmouth adopted a test-optional policy)

The dataset included over 99,000 applicants and tracked standardized test scores, high school GPA, first-year college GPA, socioeconomic background, first-generation status, and high school characteristics. Researchers also used College Board Landscape data to assess high school disadvantage levels and neighborhood income.

Key Findings

1. Test Scores Predict Success More Than GPA

• At Dartmouth, SAT/ACT scores explain 22% of the differences in first-year college GPAs, making them a strong predictor of academic success.
  

• By comparison, high school GPA explains only 9%, meaning it is a much weaker measure of how well students will perform in their first year.
  

• In simpler terms, if you want to predict how well a student will do at Dartmouth, their SAT/ACT score is far more useful than their high school GPA.

2. Test Scores Help Identify Disadvantaged High Achievers

• Dartmouth’s admissions officers use test scores in context, meaning that a 1400 SAT score from a student at a low-resource school is evaluated differently than the same score from a student at a well-resourced school.
  

• High-achieving first-generation and low-income students benefit greatly from submitting scores, as they help admissions officers recognize their potential.
  

3. Test-Optional Policies Reduce the Likelihood of Admissions for Disadvantaged Students

• Many high-achieving, less-advantaged students fail to submit their test scores, significantly lowering their chances of admission.
  

• Data show that among Dartmouth applicants:

• High-achieving disadvantaged students increase their admission chances by 3.6x when they submit test scores (from 2.9% to 10.2%).

• First-generation students increase their odds by 2.4x (from 4.3% to over 10%) when reporting scores.

4. Test-Optional Policies Do Not Significantly Change the Socioeconomic Makeup of the Applicant Pool

• Despite a 35% increase in applications after Dartmouth adopted a test-optional policy, the proportion of applicants from low-income backgrounds remained largely unchanged.
  

• The biggest shift was an increase in international applicants, rising from 17% to 24% of the total pool.

Why This Matters

The study suggests that while test-optional policies aim to create equity, they may disadvantage the very students they intend to help. Without standardized test scores, admissions officers must rely on other factors—like high school grades and curriculum, recommendations, and extracurriculars—which tend to favor students from more privileged backgrounds.

The key takeaway? High-achieving disadvantaged students should submit their SAT/ACT scores whenever possible, as they serve as a crucial tool for gaining admission to elite institutions.

For a deeper understanding, the full study can be accessed here.