Navigating Test-Optional Stigma: A Sociological Exploration into the Impact of Test-Optional Policies on First-Generation and Low-Income Students at an Elite Institution

Abstract

This thesis applies a symbolic interactionist lens to the sociological effects of test-optional admission policies between 2020-2024 on first-generation, low-income (FLI) students at Princeton University. Through a mixed methodological approach, this study examines how not submitting SAT/ACT scores affects students’ academic self-concept and sense of belonging. The findings indicate that test-optional policies, while well-intentioned, may inadvertently perpetuate feelings of inadequacy and produce a new, internalized test-optional stigma among non-submitters and double stigmatization for FLI students, further complicating their integration and sense of identity. The preliminary findings from the 30 interviews identified four unique identity groups: Advocates, Navigators, Transcenders, and Traditionalist. These categories show how students have responded differently to test-optional policies and how such policies have affected their identities within the social structure and culture of the university. Interestingly, by junior year, FLI non-submitters, otherwise known as transcenders, start to embrace a service-oriented identity that mirrors Princeton’s ethos of service to society. As a result, the stigma associated with non-submission seems to diminish, mitigating previously reported lower levels of academic belonging among students.