In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there was chaos in the world of education, much like everywhere else. Suddenly, schools began switching to online instruction where possible and social distancing where not. This particularly affected ACT and SAT test-takers as there was no other option but to take the tests in person. Coupled with the changing situation during the pandemic and social distancing requirements, this proved to be a logistical nightmare for all involved. It was hard for students to sign up for these tests due to limited dates and space, and even if registered, a test date could be suddenly cancelled. For prospective college students, efforts were made to make applying to college a bit easier during this time. Among them, many colleges decided to enact test-optional policies.

Table of Contents

1. What is a test-optional college?
2. Why do colleges like the ACT and SAT?
3. Standardized tests and diversity
4. Should I still submit scores to a test-optional school?

What is a test-optional college?

Like the name implies, a test-optional college leaves it up to students whether or not to submit test scores with their college application. This does not mean that the school isn’t interested in seeing your test scores; it only means that it is not required for you to submit them. There are many variations in this policy, ranging from schools that still might want to see test scores, giving them a possible advantage, to schools that will completely ignore test scores for all applicants. Some schools may even allow other tests such as AP or CLT scores. The key terms to look out for:

Test-optional for all: The college gives you the choice whether to submit your test scores. They will consider ACT and SAT scores if submitted but will focus on other elements of your application that they believe are stronger predictors of student success.

Test-optional for some: These colleges may have minimum requirements to opt out of sending test scores such as a minimum GPA score. They may also require test scores for some applicants like homeschooled or international students or for admission into certain programs and majors like Nursing, Engineering, or STEM majors.

Test-flexible: You may be able to submit scores from other tests such as AP Exams or the CLT for admission.

Test-blind: Even if you send test scores, the college will not look at them.

Test-optional/blind, but still required: Some colleges may not require you to submit test scores for admission, but will still ask you to submit test scores for other reasons such as scholarships, course placement, and academic counseling.

Why do colleges like the ACT and SAT?

Standardized tests like the ACT and SAT provide a common benchmark which colleges can use to rank students. Even within your state or community, educational requirements and coursework can differ vastly. Multiply this by all the communities and schools, and you can easily see that college admissions staff have their work cut out for them. Students may not have been offered the opportunity to take certain classes in some neighborhoods, while on the other hand, some schools may have inflated grades due to AP classes and other advanced coursework. It’s the college admissions officer’s job to make sense of all this information and use it to determine who gets accepted or not. A single test score helps make this comparison easier as everyone is graded on the same scale.

Should I still submit scores to a test-optional school?

Ultimately, the choice of whether to send your score to a school is up to you at these institutions. It’s worth considering sending your score, though, if you are at or above the average test score for a school. You can use a tool like the College Board’s College Search or search the school’s admission’s website for more information about what the freshman class from the previous year looked like in terms of GPA, make-up, and scores.

Stand out

Submitting your test score can help you stand out among the other applicants. Especially if your score is average or above-average for the school, it can only help you to send it! The more (good) information the college has about you, the more attractive you look as a candidate. Without sending test scores, you need to make sure other parts of your application stand out that much more. So, if your test scores are absent, your GPA, coursework, extra-curriculars, and essays need to make up for that fact. If your test scores are not what you would like them to be, you can always choose to not send the scores and retake the test(s) for a better result. If you leave the section for sending your test scores blank while taking the test, the testing organization won’t send them, and the colleges will never see those scores unless you decide to send them later. The downside to doing this is that you may have to pay to send the scores at a later date.

Financial aid

Test scores can also be used to determine scholarship eligibility and other forms of financial aid. There are many merit-based scholarships out there that may require that you submit a test score to receive aid. Even if you don’t have plans to send the scores to a college, you should still take the tests for this fact alone. By choosing to not take these tests, you take yourself out of the running for hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential college aid. There are many scholarships like these offered by the schools and third-party organizations, so even if you don’t send your score to the admissions staff, you might still want to send your score to the school to become eligible for certain scholarships.

Where do I go from here?

Check with the admissions department of the schools you want to apply to or visit their website in order to get the best understanding of what they require. If you’re specifically looking for test-optional institutions, go to Fair Test to see an up to date list of accredited colleges and universities that have adopted these policies. Regardless of whether you apply to a test-optional college, it is most likely within your interest to take the ACT and SAT as one or more colleges or scholarships will require this information for some purpose. If you’re looking for help studying for either test, get in touch with us to schedule a session!