To take or not to take? That is the question plaguing many students who are witnessing a few universities returning to standardized testing in the post-Covid era. In the last two months, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Yale University, and the entire public university system of Florida and Georgia have reinstated SAT/ACT for the application year 2024. Many universities, such as Stanford, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell, are continuing with the test-optional policy for another year or two. This fragmented policy approach by universities is causing confusion and anxiety among students and parents, who are appointing SAT and ACT tutors at skyrocketing fees.
Pause! There is good news for students who were looking forward to a test-optional application season in 2024. A large number of universities have decided to remain test-optional but not test-blind. Test-optional means schools don’t require you to submit the scores but will consider them in the admissions process. Does this mean that students have a choice about submitting their test scores? Yes. Will their application be considered incomplete by universities if they don’t? Absolutely not.
In the scenario where a student has taken the SAT or ACT and achieved a score that is above the school’s average, it would be advisable to submit the score. This will certainly give a leg up to the student, enabling him or her to showcase intellectual vitality. But for some reason, if a student has not been able to get a goal score, it would be in the best interest of the applicant to refrain from submitting it. The key would then be to focus on the stronger aspects of the student’s profile and highlight those achievements.
It is important to make a note of the test-optional colleges and to do some prior research before making a final decision regarding testing. In May 2020, “The University of California Board of Regents” unanimously voted to stop requiring the ACT and SAT as part of admissions applications. This remains unchanged for the current year. So, the good news is that if you’re applying to a UC school, you won’t have to submit your ACT or SAT scores.
As a quick reference for the readers, here is a list of 50 colleges that are test-optional for 2024–25.
| 1 | Amherst College | 26 | Stanford University |
| 2 | Babson College | 27 | The State University of New York (SUNY) |
| 3 | Boston University | 28 | Swarthmore College |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology | 29 | Smith College |
| 5 | California State University | 30 | Texas A&M University |
| 6 | Carnegie Mellon University | 31 | Tufts University |
| 7 | Columbia University | 32 | University of California |
| 8 | Cornell University | 33 | University of Chicago |
| 9 | Duke University | 34 | University of Maine |
| 10 | Emory University | 35 | The University of Maryland |
| 11 | Harvey Mudd College | 36 | University of Massachusetts |
| 12 | Johns Hopkins University | 37 | University of Miami |
| 13 | Lehigh University | 38 | The University of Michigan |
| 14 | Michigan State University | 39 | University of Norte Dame |
| 15 | New York University | 40 | University of Southern California |
| 16 | North Carolina State University | 41 | University of Texas |
| 17 | Northeastern University | 42 | The University of Washington |
| 18 | Northwestern University | 43 | The University of Wisconsin |
| 19 | Princeton University | 44 | Vanderbilt University |
| 20 | Pepperdine University | 45 | Virginia Tech |
| 21 | Pomona College | 46 | Vassar College |
| 22 | Rice University | 47 | William & Mary |
| 23 | Rutgers University | 48 | Wake Forest University |
| 24 | Skidmore College | 49 | Wellesley College |
| 25 | Santa Clara University | 50 | Wesleyan University |
Applying to US colleges requires careful planning. Since every student’s requirements are unique, it is best to consult their college counselor and admissions officers at colleges to determine the best course of action.
