Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, some US colleges and universities were starting to drop SAT or ACT testing requirements in response to growing research findings regarding the relevancy and equity of standardized testing.
As we approach the end of the pandemic (fingers crossed), the US higher education landscape has become one of increased diversity and confusion when it comes to the question of how standardized tests will factor in admissions decisions. In short, pandemic health restrictions created such high barriers for students to take standardized tests, that it has resulted in a growing number of schools shifting their attitudes in big ways.
What does this mean for you as an applicant and how can you decipher these policies?
In brief, applicants now have a lot more choices in how they present themselves on their applications.
Let’s look at some of the types of policies and what they mean:
Tests Always Required: This is what you will find on the CommonApp when a school, such as the University of Florida, requires each applicant to submit either an SAT or ACT score. There is generally no preference for either test.
Test Flexible: If you see this in a university policy, it can mean that a school requires test scores, but those don’t necessarily need to be SAT or ACT scores. For instance, students might be able to submit AP or IB scores in their place. Please be sure to review a school’s policy carefully before applying.
Never Required: This is what you will find on the CommonApp for schools who have made submissions of SAT and ACT scores optional in some way. This can mean something different at each school, so before applying, be sure to check each school’s website to confirm their policy. Here are a few general ways schools are using, or not using, test scores, even when not requiring them:
Test Optional: This type of policy usually means that a school is not requiring students to submit scores, but if they do submit them, the school will use them in the admissions process. Students are not penalized for not submitting scores, so here is where choice comes in. Applicants with scores within or above a school’s admissions average might benefit from submitting those scores, while students with lower scores may choose not to submit them in favor of being evaluated solely on the other components of their applications.
At some schools, these policies are temporary, so don’t assume that because a school is test-optional this year, it will be next year. A growing number of schools are opting to make this policy permanent, such as Columbia University and the University of Washington.
Test Blind or Test Free: These terms are both used to describe a school’s policy where tests WILL NOT be used in admissions decisions. Applicants need to read schools’ policies carefully to determine if this is the case.
For instance, Reed College in Oregon posts this on their website: “Reed will neither require nor use testing results from the SAT or ACT in our admission review for the fall 2023 cycle.”
The University of California system of schools is also currently test-free until 2024, while a few schools like Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts have gone permanently test-free.
Applicants should further understand that while test scores are not used in admissions decisions at these schools, they may be used for other purposes, such as in course placement and merit scholarship applications, so there can still be value in submitting them.
There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to each of the above policies, and applicants will find they have the most choices when they prepare for and take the SAT or the ACT in addition to their studies, extra-curricular activities, teacher recommendations, and essays. Since we all don’t shine in all of these areas, the more ways we can find to stand out, the better are our chances of being accepted.
When compiling your list of schools, understand their admissions policies and reach out to one of our consultants if you need more guidance on how to prepare your strongest application.
For more resources on which schools have which policies, check out: https://blog.prepscholar.com/test-blind-colleges
