How do colleges use standardized test results?
Standardized tests are rarely the most important factor in an admission decision, but the scores provide one of the very few means by which colleges can evaluate students across the country. Standardized test scores, then, form part of the total picture of an applicant. For example, colleges have higher expectations of students who come from educated, English-speaking homes. (Note: Students who are non-native English speakers may wish to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Check with your counselor to determine whether this test is appropriate for you.) Every school uses test scores differently. To get an idea of the range of scores for which schools are looking, consult the schools website or the guidebooks in the College and Career Center. But do not think that the published ranges are cut-offs; many schools will deny some students with very good scores and admit others with average or weak test results. Scores are merely one aspect of a student’s application.
