Every evening and weekend around this time of the year, at kitchen tables across the country, high school seniors and their parents embark on the college application process - a fall ritual as ingrained in American culture as football and Halloween. But applying for college is much different now than it was for past generations of high schoolers. In 2019, more than half of colleges required SAT or ACT scores. That changed during the Covid pandemic, when almost all colleges temporarily dropped standardized test scores as an admissions requirement. Nearly all of them have continued the policies - including Ivy League and other prestigious schools: more than 2,000 colleges at last count.

Higher education experts think the trend will become permanent as colleges try to maintain a diverse student body in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action as standardized test scores seem to favor white and affluent students, studies show. Other recent studies indicate that grades are a better predictor of college success than standardized test scores, calling their value into question. The fact is, universities might have phased out SATs and ACTs by becoming test-optional or test-blind, even without Covid. 

What that means is that high test scores are no longer necessary to get into the most competitive schools. Of course, students with extremely high test scores can still use them to boost their chances at many universities. But for most students, the brave new world of test-optional applications is an enormous boon. Picture a high school senior from Iowa with straight As, including in AP classes, but only average SAT scores. In the past, this student wouldn't even bother applying to top-20 colleges. Now, many are more optimistic.

However, experts say that without test scores, these students will need to demonstrate other qualities to help distinguish their applications to top universities. The answer, they say, is a strategically targeted application that better fits colleges' more holistic approach.

Instead of leading with test scores and grades, successful students nowadays are those who put together a package that demonstrates their ability not only to perform well academically but to contribute to a vibrant, diverse campus community - and, after graduation, to succeed in the world. To put it another way, they need to lead with their passion.

"Getting into college requires more than a high GPA," said Kevin Hong, Program Director at Zenith Prep Academy, one of the nation's largest college consulting firms. "When colleges choose between two candidates, they look for the one who shows stronger potential to make meaningful contributions to the world after graduation."

When Zenith counselors meet with students and parents, they hone in on a child's interests and passions and then look to turn them into unique advantages in the application. Essays, descriptions of extracurricular activities, and teacher recommendations can help reinforce the narrative.

"The overall package means more than the old SAT plus GPA approach," Hong said.

So, as families sweat out college applications in the coming months, students with demonstrated passions may be better positioned than they think to attend the college of their dreams - regardless of how they performed on the SAT.