The fall semester brings upon many important things for high school seniors, one of which being college applications. For those who intend to pursue a higher education in the form of college, deciding whether or not to submit test scores to schools may be a bit daunting. Depending on the circumstance, there are numerous different factors that play into the decision making.

Colleges all across the nation are increasingly becoming more test optional. Students now have the choice between submitting and withholding their test scores according to counselor Mark Conover.

“Colleges are realizing that the ACT isn’t the end all and be all of how successful you can be in school,” Conover said. “There’s other factors involved, and a lot of colleges are giving the bigger picture a better look.”

Conover also said that different programs and schools have different requirements for ACT scores. The University of Kansas [KU], for example, does not require scores for admission, but specific schools within KU such as engineering may request them.

“Some scholarships will want to see your ACT score and some don’t care one bit,” Conover said. “That even goes for merit scholarships within universities.”

For students applying to test optional schools, the question of whether or not to submit scores is entirely up to the applicant. According to a poll from @fsjournalism on Instagram, 47% of students chose to submit their scores, and 53% of students chose to withhold them. 

One factor that may impact whether or not an applicant may want to submit their scores is the average score at the school, which Conover said can be found on websites such as niche.com.

“If you’re above average on those ACT scores, it would probably be beneficial to go ahead and submit your scores even if they don’t require it,” Conover said. “It doesn’t hurt to submit those scores, especially if they’re a good score on average compared to what [schools] usually get.”

Senior Cooper Stone believes that the decision should rely on the place a student plans​ to attend. Stone said that submitting scores when they are average or above average at a school is good, but said he does not recommend submitting a below average score.

“If it’s optional and you have a low test score, I would recommend withholding it because that doesn’t help you when you’re applying,” Stone said. “You’re trying to sell yourself, and that wouldn’t help sell you.”