Andy Borst Profile picture
Jun 9, 2022 15 tweets 5 min read Read on X
Should I send my ACT/SAT? I thought I would share some insights on this question in an attempt to add some transparency.
Submitting your test scores improves your chances of being admitted in the same way that eating more mozzarella improves your chances of earning a doctorate in civil engineering. The two may be related but not causal. Source: tylervigen.com/spurious-corre… Image
I'm going to attempt to show how flawed metrics of "who gets admitted" may lead you to an false conclusion. Cartoon by #xkcd Image
I wholeheartedly agree that colleges should be more transparent with their data, however, sharing some data (such as % test optional applied vs. admitted) ignores bias within the data. forbes.com/sites/brennanb…
In following that advice, and because @uofiadmissions admits by major, we've created a major explorer tool that has a great deal of admissions, cost, and outcome data by individual major: myillini.illinois.edu/Programs
Just comparing the percent who applied without test scores with the percent who were admitted without test scores ignores the selection bias of who elects to submit test scores.
If only students with strong test scores choose to submit scores, there is a non-random difference between those who self-select to submit test scores and those who choose to withhold test scores.
Look at this data from some competitive flagship universities. One might conclude that submitting a test score has a statistically significant impact on who gets admitted.

Georgia Tech: 37% applied/21% admitted
Virginia: 42% applied/28% admitted
UIUC: 44% applied/40% admitted
Now, let's look at UIUC admits by college. One might also conclude that test scores give an advantage to students applying to competitive majors in business and engineering. Image
However, the differences in admit rates between score senders disappear when we compare students with similar GPAs in core academic classes (i.e. English, math, language other than English, science, and social science). Image
So while it is tempting to conclude that sending or not sending test scores made the difference in admission decisions, it is really more about how students do in the classroom throughout four years of high school.
The advice we tell students is that if you are proud of your ACT/SAT, by all means, send it. If you're unsure, then we really don't need to see your scores in order to make an admission decision.
We still provide a 3-yr average of middle 50% by college with more information about how we review: admissions.illinois.edu/Apply/Freshman…
More data is usually better; however, more data without understanding the contextual underpinnings of the data can often lead to "experts" giving certain advice based on assumptions that may not be true.
So, rather than spending your time worrying about whether to send your ACT/SAT scores to the universities you're applying to, I just encourage you to eat more cheese.

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More from @AndyBorstUGA

Mar 21, 2023
With the intention of moving away from the middle 50% of SAT/ACT scores, we are exploring different ways to provide information to students, parents, and counselors about who gets admitted to UIUC.

This is a thread about Language Other Than English and college admissions.🧵
Who gets admitted to UIUC? We want to explore new ways to show who gets admitted by breaking down certain components of our application process, such as our expectation for students to take a language other than English in high school.
Most students admitted to UIUC (66.2%) took 4 levels or more of a language other than English.

36.5% took more than 4 levels, 85.3% took 3 or more levels, and 98.5% took 2 or more levels.
Read 12 tweets
Oct 1, 2022
This was me. I said this. Here is why…🧵
This quote came from a report by @Justequations & @NACAC which raises an important question about the role of calculus in admissions justequations.org/wp-content/upl…
Yes, calculus should continue to be the default recommendation for students who are interested in STEM majors. I will agree with that recommendation, but I want to offer that the emphasis should be that students are *ready to begin* calculus in college. insidehighered.com/admissions/art…
Read 21 tweets
Feb 23, 2022
The only admission decision harder to understand than being denied is being waitlisted. I want to offer some context about waitlists.
The most common question I hear is, "What are my chances of being admitted off the waitlist?"
Just for some peace of mind, most universities who have a waitlist also have what's called a "Common Data Set." Waitlist statistics are part of that data set. This can provide some context for how schools have used their list in the past years. Keep in mind each year is different
Read 12 tweets
Jan 31, 2022
Many universities have more applications/fewer staff to read files and are bracing for uncertainty. This may lead to larger waitlists/more deferrals and cause students greater anxiety. Pro tip: You can't predict admission decisions. 🧵
tl;dr The denominator is getting bigger (apps), the numerator MAY be getting smaller (enroll targets), fewer people are available to read apps, and colleges will likely guard against over- and under-enrolling (larger waitlists).
More Applications: Compared to 2019, @CommonApp apps are up almost 20% with bigger increases at publics and more rejective colleges. s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ca.research.pu…
Read 10 tweets
May 31, 2021
If I had one wish, it would be for high schools to eliminate half of their Advanced Placement courses.🧵
As test optional admissions shifts the focus onto course selection and grades, we need to be intentional to not replace the testing arms-race for an emphasis on number of AP/Dual Credit/IB/Honors courses or extra-curriculars.
I recently got an email from a high school thinking of cutting some of their 30+ AP/Honors classes. They are admirably trying to address issues of equity within their courses while trying to address concerns about their students not being as competitive for admission.
Read 17 tweets
Apr 6, 2021
In honor of several universities releasing admission decisions today, I offer some selected quotes from an article: nytimes.com/1970/03/13/arc…
"As the officials plow through the thousands of applications, recommendations and test scores, youngsters and parents bite their nails waiting to see if they have beaten the mysterious system and been chosen by the college of their choice."
"It is probably easier to get into college these days, but harder to [be admitted to] your first choice."
Read 10 tweets

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