Is Going “Test-Optional” on a College Application a Good Idea?

For decades, any student who wanted admission to an Ivy League school or a spot in another prestigious university knew that they had to contend with either the SAT or ACT – or both.

The SAT and ACT are largely considered indicators of how well a student reasons and can cope with the academic rigors of higher education. A high test score could open academic doors, while a low test score could ruin the hopes of a student with an otherwise impressive transcript and application.

When Did “Test-Optional” Admissions Begin?

In recent years, unexpected forces have changed the admissions game a bit. In the wake of declining applications, some universities went “test-optional,” meaning that SAT and ACT scores were accepted but not required, to encourage more students to apply.

Once the global COVID-19 pandemic struck, many schools — even Harvard — opened the door to test-optional applications for admission, largely because of the problems that many students had accessing testing.

How Are Test-Optional Policies Supposed to Change the Admissions Process?

The idea of applying to a test-optional school can be appealing, and there are benefits to the policy. Students who don’t perform well on standardized tests may find their options for admission greatly improved if they have a stellar academic background, the right extracurricular activities, good recommendations and a fantastic GPA.

However, test-optional shouldn’t be equated to “test-blind.” It’s one thing for a school to claim that not submitting ACT or SAT scores won’t disadvantage a student with the admissions board — it’s entirely something else to make that promise a reality.

How Are Test-Optional Policies Really Affecting Admissions to Top Schools?

Figures on the different rates of admission between students who submit their ACT or SAT scores to test-optional schools and students who don’t are still being explored, but the early indicators show that skipping the tests can be problematic.

At least one set of figures indicates that students who submit their ACT or SAT scores (as long as those scores are above the 25th percentile) to test-optional schools were admitted at roughly double the rate of students who did not submit test scores. Perhaps even more striking: Even students who had test scores below the 25th percentile were 1.25 times more likely to be admitted to their school of choice than students who opted out.

Plus, the test-optional policies did encourage more students to apply to their favored schools, hoping that their transcripts alone would be enough to earn them a coveted admissions slot. The overall effect, however, is that acceptance rates have plummeted dramatically at top-tier schools, often into single digits.

 Why Is the SAT or ACT Necessary Even for Test-Optional Schools?

In essence, it all boils down to this: Highly selective schools are always going to be highly selective, with or without required test scores on their applications.

Students who might have their dreams impaired by a poor SAT or ACT score may want to forgo adding these tests to their applications, but students who score well are going to attract more attention — and those scores can also pave the way toward scholarships.

SATs and ACTs are far from a thing of the past – and they seem to factor into the admissions process even in test-optional schools.