Today’s episode explores a hot college admissions topic - test-optional policies. We sat down with Ryan Ricciardi, Associate Dean of Admissions at Bowdoin College, and Benjamin Toll, Dean of Admissions in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at George Washington University. We chat about different opportunities to showcase your strengths to an admissions committee without standardized test scores, the importance of being reflective in the application process to align your educational & experiential goals, institutional priorities that have driven test-optional policies, and so much more. This interview is jam packed with deep insights from 2 admissions colleagues who have a combined 20+ years of experience working with test-optional admissions!
Main Topics

Introduction to test-optional landscape (0:26)
Ryan & Ben introductions & backgrounds (2:10)
What a holistic application review looks like (5:07)
Self-selecting out, components of a strong application with a gap in education (11:00)
When to submit a test score & when not to (16:43)
Parts of the admissions process you can control, what you want admissions committees to know about you (20:00)
Coursework to demonstrate academic aptitude in your application (25:45)
Leveraging letters of recommendation & selecting recommenders to strengthen your application (29:03)
What makes a strong applicant for each institution (36:14)
Advice for applicants applying to college & considering applying test-optional (45:06)

Additional Resources

Bowdoin College 
Bowdoin Test Optional Policy 
George Washington University
George Washington Test Optional Policy

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