Do I still need to take the ACT or SAT?
Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of policy and confusion remains around how colleges evaluate standardized test scores. Many universities adopted a test-optional policy during the pandemic, and some schools will retain that position permanently. Many colleges, however, are reinstating standardized test requirements for applicants. So how do you know which guidelines to follow?
First of all, check the current policies of any school to which you might submit an application. Do this by consulting the school’s official Admissions Department website or by speaking with someone in that office. These policies may change application cycle to application cycle, so make sure any information you reference is current.
Most students apply to a mix of schools, some of which require scores and some of which do not, so it is very likely that all students who are in high school now will need to take a standardized test.
Schools with Testing Requirements
If a college or university requires a standardized test score with the application, students must submit a valid test score. Again, many schools that permitted students to opt-out of this submission during the pandemic are reinstating this requirement, so it is essential that you read application requirements very carefully.
For a list of some colleges requiring test scores, click here. Note that these will continue to change year-to-year.
Test-Optional Schools
Test-optional schools do not require students to submit standardized test scores but will accept them and use them to evaluate an applicant. If students choose not to submit test scores, admissions officers will focus on other parts of the application. Most importantly, these schools do not penalize students who cannot or do not submit test scores; however, strong test scores can boost students’ applications.
As a rule, students should submit scores to test-optional schools when their scores are at or above the school’s 75th percentile for average scores. However, for more information on whether or not to submit scores, see my 2021 blog post on this topic.
Note, however, that even when a school is test-optional, students may need to submit a test score to qualify for certain types of financial aid (more on this below).
Click here for a list of test-optional schools.
Test-Free Schools
Test-free schools (some schools still use the term test-blind) do not accept standardized test scores at all. This method removes entirely test scores as a metric for admissions; all applicants are evaluated on GPA, extracurriculars, essays, etc.
Some Test-Free Schools (for 2023-24): University of California system, University of Minnesota, Reed College, Boise State, North Carolina Wesleyan. For more click here.
Financial Aid Based on Test Scores
Standardized test scores can be a deciding factor in many types of aid offers. Applicants for National Merit Scholarships, for instance, must submit a standardized test score. Some universities offer automatic scholarships to any student achieving certain GPA and test score requirements, and so submitting test scores to these universities is essential in order to be considered for this type of aid.
Here are a few examples of schools that offer automatic aid when students meet specific GPA and test score requirements:
West Virginia University offers in-state students $4,000 of aid with a 1390 SAT or 31 ACT, plus a 3.4 GPA. Out-of-state students receive $16,000 worth of aid for the same scores/GPA.
The University of Tennessee offers in-state students $9,000 of aid with a 1490 SAT or 34 ACT, plus a 3.8 GPA. Out-of-state students receive $18,000 for the same scores/GPA.
The University of Kentucky offers automatic scholarships for both in-state and out-of-state students. Their Bluegrass Spirit Scholarship (out-of-state) provides $8,000 to $12,500 with a 3.00 GPA and 25 ACT/1200 SAT for $8,000, 3.50 GPA and 25 ACT/1200 SAT for $10,000, or 3.50 GPA and 30 ACT/1360 SAT for $12,500.