LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As seniors in Kentucky click "submit" on their college applications this fall, more schools are letting prospective students opt out of sending standardized test scores.
Jed Hilbert, a teacher and ACT tutor in Louisville, said because more schools have gone test-optional, fewer kids are trying to get their best score. In turn, that's decreased the pool of students seeking ACT tutoring.
"The pressure is off," Hilbert said. "You can do your best, and if your best isn't what you like, then that's OK."
The number of students taking the ACT nationwide has declined 30% since 2018 as graduates increasingly forgo college and some universities no longer require admissions tests.
Hilbert said the reason he still sees students seeking out tutoring services, is to improve scores for financial aid.
"It's not the kid who has to get this score just to get into school," Hilbert said. "It's more of these kids that are like, 'Yeah, I'm getting in school. But, you know, I want to. I want to see if I can get some scholarship money along with it.'"
The most recent testing data shows a high school junior at a Kentucky public school averaged an 18 our of 36 on the ACT. That's up from the 2020-21 average score but still down from pre-pandemic times.
It's also down from the national average of 19, the first time since 1991 that the average score was below 20.
"Kids are still wanting to take it," Hilbert said. "I just don't think it's this massive rush to have to get a certain score, because, again, you don't anymore have to get a certain score for a lot of schools."
The University of Louisville, Bellarmine University and Spalding University are test-optional. Michael Marshall, vice president of enrollment, marketing and communications, at Bellarmine, said they've been test-optional since 2020. More than half of the newest freshman class on campus opted out of submitting test scores.
"For us, the GPA and the rigor of the students' curriculum provided sort of the greatest insight to understanding the probability of success," Marshall said. "If a student submits it, it is still a part of our evaluation process for admission and for scholarships.
"The transcript is still the most valuable piece of information we have," Marshall said.
However, both Hilbert and Michael said a strong ACT score could help a student get financial aid.
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