Back when I was teaching after-school SAT test-prep at Prince William County high schools like Battlefield, Colgan, Patriot, and Unity Reed (formerly Stonewall), I wish I’d known what I know now. I wouldn’t have pushed my students to spend a good chunk of their lives prepping for multiple SAT and/or ACT tests. Too many of those students wasted time, money, and energy seeking a high score or even a perfect score only to be rejected by their “dream college.” The test prep companies, the College Board, and the ACT tell us that these tests are the key ingredient to getting into a good college. Yet, I’ve seen students with low scores get into their “dream college.”

Questions to ask admissions officers to decide if it is it bad to go test optional, is test-optional really test-optional, is test optional a good idea, does the test-optional acceptance rate determine if you should apply optional, pros and cons of test-optional, will not submitting a test-optional hurt

How do I stand out for scholarships and merit aid (even if I apply test-optional)

A meaningful service project and/or extracurricular and/or job is the way to secure a scholarship and large merit aid offers (aka money the colleges give to you when you are accepted to incentivize you to come) most of the time.