In the past year, a growing number of colleges and universities have announced that they are ending their test optional policies and returning to requiring standardized tests such as the ACT and the SAT. Schools returning to ‘tests required’ policies cite the predictive ability of tests to measure student success at their institutions across all socio-economic backgrounds.
Background
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities adopted ‘test-optional’ policies which allowed students to decide whether they wanted to submit standardized test scores as part of their college applications. School shutdowns made it hard for students to take the tests in many states. In response, schools began 4-5 year pilot programs in 2020 to determine whether they would remain test optional once the pandemic was over. As those pilot programs end and new data emerge, a growing number of these schools—especially selective schools, STEM focused schools, and public universities in the South—are reinstating standardized testing requirements.
Each summer, our team works with students for test prep, often before they’ve met with a college counselor. These students often ask during these sessions if they should be concerned about standardized testing given the prevalence of test optional universities. Although the decision for a student to take and submit standardized test scores depends on individual circumstances, here is what we can tell families wondering about what the return to requiring test scores might mean for them.
Why are Schools Returning to Requiring Test Scores?
During the pandemic, many schools made the switch to test optional by default. Testing centers were either not open, or it wasn’t safe to test and therefore, it was unfair to expect test scores as part of a student’s college application. However, five years on from the pandemic many universities have been reevaluating their test optional stances and returning to ‘tests required.’
One reason for returning to tests is their ability to predict student success in the early years of college. Dartmouth, for example, which reinstated its testing requirements in February 2024, cited research that SAT and ACT scores “are an important predictor of a student’s success in Dartmouth’s curriculum” and therefore an integral part of its application process. MIT, which also went test optional during the pandemic but has since returned to requiring test scores cited similar findings but noted that the math component of the test was especially important in helping the university identify qualified applicants who could succeed at the institution. MIT Dean of Admissions Stuart Schmill noted that “we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors…And the math component of that testing turns out to be most important.”
Another reason colleges and universities may be returning to tests required policies is the rise of grade inflation. As more students report 4.0s and above, colleges are increasingly looking for standardized metrics to measure student success. With the average GPA steadily rising, and grading policies varying significantly across school districts, an “A” at one high school might not carry the same weight as it does at another school. Standardized test scores help admissions officers put grades into context by offering a consistent benchmark for evaluating academic performance both within districts and nationwide.
Finally, many colleges and universities have returned to requiring tests to help them identify students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds who could thrive at their schools. While research has shown that test scores correlate with family income, colleges look at a student’s scores in the context of the student’s school and community. When students don’t submit scores, colleges lose valuable information about highly qualified students who could thrive at the institution. A student who scores a 1400 at a high school where the average SAT score is 1000, for example, shows that they have the capacity to succeed at a highly selective school.
While not all elite colleges have made the switch back, as you build your application profile this year, we think it’s worth considering which colleges are test optional because of a choice they’re embracing and which schools might feel more comfortable with the inclusion of a test score due to their less secure relationship with test-optional applicants.
Long-term or Temporary Shift?
While it is difficult to predict long-term trends with certainty, the current movement suggests that reinstating standardized testing may not be a short-lived phenomenon. Many of the test-optional policies implemented during the pandemic were designed as pilot programs meant to be reassessed after a few years. Now that the initial trial periods are ending, colleges are reviewing their data and making informed decisions on whether to keep or eliminate standardized test requirements.
While every school is different, certain schools such as liberal arts schools in the Northeast that have been test optional for a long time, are likely to stay test optional. If those are the only schools you are thinking of applying to, then perhaps going test optional is completely viable. However, if there is a chance that you are going to be applying to other kinds of schools, particularly larger schools or state schools, it may be better that you take and prepare for the ACT or SAT. Larger state schools that receive tens of thousands of applications might not have the time to holistically read your application in the same way a smaller school would, so it’s worth keeping that in mind as you prepare.
The testing landscape is constantly changing. The information below is accurate as of February 2025, but please check the official website of schools you plan to apply to for the latest updates!
Some schools have decided to return to requiring test scores, like…
- Cal Tech
- Harvard
- Stanford
- MIT
- Yale
- Brown
- Dartmouth
- Johns Hopkins
- Carnegie Mellon
- Cornell
- USMA
- USNA
- USAFA
- Georgetown
- University System of Georgia – University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State
- University of Florida
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Texas
- Florida State
- University of Tennesesee
- Purdue
While other schools remain test optional for an additional application cycle (2025-2026) to make further assessments including…
- Duke
- Princeton
- Vanderbilt
- Northwestern
- Swarthmore
- NYU
- Amherst
- Middlebury
- Emory
- Tufts
- Notre Dame
And some schools have opted to remain Test Optional
- University of Chicago
- University of Michigan
- Columbia University
- Amherst College
Or Test Blind
- University of California System
Conclusion
Test scores can be a valuable part of your college application and for some schools, they are now required. Strong test scores can also help students get merit aid and scholarships.
If there is a chance that you will apply to a school that requires tests, it’s best to prepare for standardized tests. It’s easier to decide not to submit test scores at the last minute than to decide that you would like to submit test scores which you don’t have.
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