If you are a member of the Class of 2023 or 2024, you may be curious about whether you need to submit a test score when applying to college. In this blog post, we will provide an overview of the testing policies announced by colleges and universities for the Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 application seasons.
2022-2023 Admissions Cycle
As of March 2022, we have discovered that 63.5% of the top 200 schools have implemented test optional, test flexible, or test suggested policies for the upcoming application round. While submitting a test score is strongly recommended and may increase your chances of admission at many of these schools, it is not a requirement. Additionally, 5.5% of colleges have made test scores mandatory. Notable examples include Georgetown, UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, and Florida State University. On the other hand, 8.5% of the top 200 universities, including all colleges in the University of California system, have adopted a test blind policy and will not accept SAT or ACT scores. However, they may consider other exams such as AP or TOEFL scores. Lastly, 22.5% of colleges have yet to announce their testing policies.
As more schools encourage students to submit test scores and access to tests becomes easier, we are entering a phase where the absence of a test score may negatively impact your application, unless you provide a valid explanation for not having one. Many schools now prefer applicants with test scores.
2023-2024 Admissions Cycle
It is important to note that schools can change their testing policies at any time. Currently, 38.5% of the top 200 schools have already announced that they will continue their test optional, test blind, or test flexible policies until at least 2024. If you have a fear of tests, you can still find a school that does not require test scores from the top 200 list. However, over half of the schools have not yet announced their policies for the Class of 2024. Therefore, if you belong to this class, we recommend that you prepare for the possibility of needing a test score. Test scores also appear to correlate with higher acceptance rates at many top 200 universities.
Despite the statistics provided, please make sure to carefully read the fine print. Some colleges may still require test scores if your GPA falls below a certain threshold. Additionally, many schools consider test scores for merit scholarships and placement in honors colleges.
| College | SAT/ACT Required for Freshman entering Fall 2023? | SAT/ACT Required for Freshman entering Fall 2024? | Test Optional, Test Blind, or Test Flexible? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | No | No | Test Optional | Extending Test Optional through Fall 2025 |
| Harvard University | No | No | Test Optional | Extending Test Optional policy through Fall 2026 |
| Columbia University | No | No | Test Optional | Permanently Test Optional |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | 2023 Policy has CHANGED to required (previously was stated as not required) | Test Required in 2024 |
This is just a portion of the comprehensive list. For the complete list of colleges and their testing policies, please refer to the source.
