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SAT and ACT Policies and Score Ranges for Popular Colleges and Universities

Compass has compiled the most recently available score range data and admission testing policies for popular colleges and universities, public and private, chosen to represent a wide array of four-year postsecondary institutions in the U.S. About 75% of the schools on this list have reported for the class entering in Fall 2021, which was the first admission cycle with widespread test optional policies in response to students’ inability to test during the early months of the pandemic. This is evident in the absence of score data at some schools.

The SAT and ACT scores in the table below represent the most recently reported scores available. You can use these new ranges to better understand the typical test scores of enrolled students. These scores should not be viewed as cutoffs or qualifying scores. Additionally the table includes application data, an explanation of relevant test optional (TO) policies – e.g. temporary suspension of the testing requirement, permanently TO, or Test Free (TF).

Students who choose not to submit test scores when applying to colleges will be evaluated holistically. In the absence of a test score, admissions officers may bring an even greater focus to the student’s academic achievements. Students especially should strive to do very well in school and maintain the strongest possible GPA in classes that challenge them appropriately. Compass offers academic tutoring in over 50 subjects to help students maximize their scholastic potential. We have a strong team of subject specific expert tutors to guide the program from start to finish. We also offer a Study Skills and Organizational Coaching program to provide students with the tools they need to excel in the classroom.

This list is intended as a broad snapshot of the competitive landscape of college admission. Students taking a holistic approach to their college search will undoubtedly consider many other wonderful colleges not included in this list.

For more information about college admission testing, please visit compassprep.com/guide.

Schools marked with an asterisk (*) are only Test Optional for some students. Please read these schools’ policies carefully to determine if you qualify for admission without test scores. We strive to keep this list current as colleges continuously revise their policies. As soon as we learn of a change, we update this table. We also encourage you to click on a college’s name to link directly to its testing policy page for the most complete guidance.

SchoolTO?Applies to Class Year(s)Policy DetailsNumber of ApplicantsAccept RateSAT Total 25th–75th PercentileACT Total 25th–75th Percentile
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyNoMIT has ended their temporary test optional policy. Students applying to the class of 2027 and beyond will need to submit SAT or ACT scores.200757.26%1510–157034–36
Georgetown UniversityNoGeorgetown requires submission of SAT/ACT scores for admission. Students who apply without scores will be asked to explain why they were unable to take a test. Georgetown does not offer merit-based aid.2762911.98%1380–153032–35
United States Air Force AcademyNoUSAFA requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.1159912.31%1400–151031–35
Georgia Institute of TechnologyNoThe University System of Georgia has announced that all institutions will resume test score admission requirements beginning with the Spring semester of 2022. Any student applying to a University System of Georgia school in 2022 and beyond will have to submit an SAT or ACT test score.4538818.3%1370–152031–35
United States Merchant Maritime AcademyNoUSMMA requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.179025.2%——
University of FloridaNoThe University of Florida requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.4819331.13%1310–145029–33
University of Central FloridaNoUniversity of Central Florida requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the ACT Writing Test.4892736.37%1170–135025–30
Florida State UniversityNoFlorida State University requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.6525637.06%1200–133026–30
University of GeorgiaNoThe University System of Georgia has announced that all institutions will resume test score admission requirements beginning with the Spring semester of 2022. Any student applying to a University System of Georgia school in 2022 and beyond will have to submit an SAT or ACT test score.3909040.14%1280–143028–32
University of South FloridaNoUniversity of South Florida requries either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.5036849.4%1150–133024–29
Gallaudet UniversityNoGallaudet University requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.47761.22%785–98514–19
Florida InternationalNoFlorida International University requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the ACT Writing Test.1640664.01%1030–122021–27
Florida Institute of TechnologyNoFlorida Institute of Technology requires either the SAT or ACT. It generally does not require the optional ACT Writing Test, but it may be required for some applicants.1065065.88%1150–133024–30
Purdue University—West LafayetteNoPurdue University requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.5917368.88%1190–143026–33
New College of FloridaNoThe New College of Florida requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.165074.18%1110–132823–29
University of TennesseeNoThe University of Tennessee requires SAT/ACT scores as part of the application for admission.2990974.94%1180–134025–31
Thomas Aquinas CollegeNoThomas Aquinas College requires requires that applicants take the SAT, the ACT, or the CLT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test. Thomas Aquinas College does not offer merit-based aid.20478.92%1150–139026–31
Columbia UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyColumbia offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply without SAT or ACT scores.605513.89%1510–156034–35
California Institute of TechnologyYes (TF)2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Caltech has extended their temporary Test Free policy, meaning it will not consider standardized test scores, to the 2024–25 admissions cycle. CalTech does not offer merit-based aid.130263.92%——
Stanford UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Stanford extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle.554713.95%1470–156034–35
Harvard College Yes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Harvard has extended their temporary test optional policy through the 2026 admissions cycle.577894.01%1480–158033–36
Princeton University Yes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Princeton has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 admissions cycle. Princeton does not offer merit-based aid.376014.38%1470–156033–35
Yale UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Yale has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle. Yale does not offer merit-based aid.472405.31%1480–156033–35
Brown UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Brown has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle. Brown does not offer merit-based aid.465685.51%1470–155033–35
Dartmouth CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Dartmouth has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023. Dartmouth does not offer merit-based aid.283566.17%1430–155032–35
Johns Hopkins UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Johns Hopkins has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2025–26 admission cycle.385136.43%1520–156034–35
University of ChicagoYesAll / Permanent PolicyUChicago offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.379776.48%1510–156033–35
Pomona CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Pomona College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.116206.64%1480–155033–35
Northwestern UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Northwestern has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle.476366.97%1490–155033–35
Vanderbilt UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Vanderbilt has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.471527.14%1480–157034–35
Swarthmore CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Swarthmore has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2024-25 admission cycle.130127.79%1440–154033–35
Duke UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Duke has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.396037.79%1480–156034–35
Cornell UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Cornell has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2024 applicants. Additionally, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, and the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business will not consider test scores even if submitted. Cornell does not offer merit-based aid.673808.69%1450–154033–35
Amherst CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Amherst has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle.139998.74%1440–154032–35
Bowdoin CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyBowdoin College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Bowdoin does not offer merit-based aid.93258.82%1330–151031–34
Williams CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023 2024, 2025, 2026Williams has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2025–26 admissions cycle.124528.83%1470–155033–35
University of PennsylvaniaYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024UPenn has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle.422058.98%1460–157033–35
United States Naval AcademyYes2021, 2022, 2023USNA has extended their temporary test flexible policy, meaning they will review applications with or without standardized test scores. Students seeking admission without a test score will be asked to provide supporting information concerning test availability, cancellation, etc.156999.08%1250–151027–34
United States Military AcademyYes2021, 2022, 2023West Point has extended their temporary test flexible policy, which allows students to submit official PSAT scores in lieu of SAT or ACT scores. They require the ACT with writing, and students who submit PSAT or SAT scores may be asked to provide a timed writing sample.158569.28%1220–144028–33
Rice UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Rice has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022-23 admissions cycle.295449.48%1490–157034–35
Tulane UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Tulane has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.455259.63%1380–149030–33
Colby CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyColby College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Colby does not offer merit-based aid.135849.67%1380–152031–34
Harvey Mudd CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Harvey Mudd has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle.47379.99%1470–154034–36
University of California—Los AngelesYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.13949010.77%——
Claremont McKenna CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024CMC has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.563211.24%1440–150032–35
Tufts UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Tufts has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2025–26 admission cycle.3119811.43%1450–153033–35
Barnard CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Barnard College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle. Barnard College does not offer merit-based aid.1039511.47%1445–153032–34
University of Southern CaliforniaYes2021, 2022, 2023USC has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.7103112.51%1330–152030–34
Washington University in St. LouisYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Washington University in St. Louis has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.3363413%1490–157033–35
Emory UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Emory has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.3343513.05%1430–153032–34
Middlebury CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Middlebury has adopted a three-year, test optional policy for first-year and transfer students, beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. After a three-year pilot period, Middlebury will re-evaluate whether to continue the test optional policy indefinitely or return to its previous test flexible policy. Middlebury does not offer merit-based aid.1190613.45%1400–152032–34
Carnegie Mellon UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Carnegie Mellon has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.3289613.54%1480–156033–35
Hamilton CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Hamilton has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle. Hamilton does not offer merit-based aid.938014.07%1440–152033–35
Colorado CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyColorado College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and international students are not eligible for test optional admission.1097514.25%1265–145029–33
University of California—BerkeleyYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.11284614.54%——
University of Notre DameYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Notre Dame has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle.2364215.07%1410–155032–35
The Cooper UnionYes2021, 2022, 2023Cooper Union has extemded their temporary test optional policy for first-year and transfer applicants, to Fall 2023.232615.86%1305–153030–35
Wellesley CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Wellesley College has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2024 admission.766516.18%1410–153031–35
Colgate UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027Colgate University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2026–27 admissions cycle.1754017.19%1360–149031–34
Bates CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyBates offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Bates does not offer merit-based aid.731917.31%1290–144030–34
Carleton CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Carleton College has extended their temporary test optional to Fall 2023 admissions.791517.55%1440–153031–35
Davidson CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyDavidson offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission with SAT or ACT scores. Homeschooled students and students who attend non-traditional schools are recommended to submit scores.643417.8%1340–148030–33
Haverford CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyHaverford offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission with SAT or ACT scores. Haverford does not offer merit-based aid.533217.84%1440–152033–35
Pitzer CollegeYes2022, 2023, 2024Pitzer has been test optional since 2003. After nearly two decades of test optional admissions, Pitzer College will switch to a test-free admission policy for at least three years, beginning with the admission cycle for fall 2022.367618.31%1410–150031–33
Northeastern UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Northeastern has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2025-26 admission cycle.7524418.38%1440–153033–35
Boston UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025BU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 admission cycle.7577818.65%1390–149031–34
Washington and Lee UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Washington and Lee has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.661418.87%1410–153032–35
Boston CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Boston College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.3984619.04%1430–151033–34
University of North Carolina—Chapel HillYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The UNC System has reinstated their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024.5377619.24%1330–150029–33
Wesleyan UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyWesleyan University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission. International students will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores for the 2020-21 admission cycle.1306719.44%1310–149031–34
Vassar CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Vassar has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022-23 admissions cycle. Vassar College does not offer merit-based aid.1088420.15%1420–152032–34
University of Michigan—Ann ArborYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The University of Michigan has extended their temporary test flexible policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.7974320.15%1360–153031–35
United States Coast Guard AcademyYes2022USCGA has adopted a temporary test optional policy for the 2021–22 admission cycle. While scores are optional, they are preferred, and students applying without scores are asked to upload a short statement.193020.31%1212–140025–30
University of VirginiaYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025UVA has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 admissions cycle.4798220.74%1400–151032–35
New York UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024NYU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.8021021.09%1390–151031–34
Grinnell CollegeYes2021, 2022Grinnell has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.800423.08%1370–153031–34
Babson CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Babson has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.710425%1400–150031–34
Wake Forest UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyWake Forest offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1515625.18%1380–148030–33
Villanova UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Villanova has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.2441025.24%1350–149031–34
Rhode Island School of DesignYesAll / Permanent PolicyRhode Island School of Design offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, international and homeschooled students are still required to submit test scores.383225.76%1230–147026–32
Case Western Reserve UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Case Western has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.2878627.36%1350–152030–34
Denison UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyDenison offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.951328.27%1250–141028–32
University of MiamiYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Miami has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.4224428.49%1310–145030–33
University of Texas—AustinYes2021, 2022, 2023UT Austin has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.6604328.75%1230–148029–34
University of RichmondYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Richmond has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.1395528.77%1320–146231–34
University of California—IrvineYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.10795228.94%——
University of California—Santa BarbaraYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.10564729.18%——
Scripps CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyScripps offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.295229.54%1400–151031–34
Smith CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicySmith College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, international students are not eligible for test optional admission.606429.91%1390–151031–34
Skidmore CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicySkidmore College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, international students and homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.1117630.59%1300–142029–33
Macalester CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyMacalester College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, Macalester recommends that homeschooled students and students who attend high schools that do not provide grades submit SAT or ACT scores.903131.31%1360–149029–33
California State Polytechnic University—San Luis ObispoYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.5457033%1240–142028–33
Berea CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Berea College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–23 admission cycle.173633.24%1090–129823–27
Trinity UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Trinity University has adopted a three-year, test optional policy for first-time, international, and homeschooled students beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. After a three-year pilot period, Trinity will re-evaluate whether to continue the test optional policy indefinitely or reinstate a testing requirement for admission.962633.72%1300–145029–33
University of California—San DiegoYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.11841034.31%——
Oberlin CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Oberlin College has adopted a three-year, test optional policy for first-time, international, and homeschooled students beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. After a three-year pilot period, Oberlin will re-evaluate whether to continue the test optional policy indefinitely or reinstate a testing requirement for admission.1059734.34%1340–146030–34
Bucknell UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Bucknell University adopted a five-year, test optional policy for first-year students, beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. However, homeschooled students and international students are not eligible for test optional admission. Bucknell will use the five-year pilot period to assess the patterns of success for test score submitters and non-submitters.1126334.5%1230–139026–32
CUNY—HunterYes (TF)2021, 2022The CUNY system has extended their temporary test free policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.3375035.17%1150–1350—
Howard UniversityYes2021, 2022Howard University has extended its temporary test optional policy to the 2021-22 admissions cycle.2939635.25%1100–127021–26
University of RochesterYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of Rochester offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1960735.43%1300–150029–33
University of TulsaYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Tulsa has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.979335.84%1090–136024–31
Hampton UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyHampton University requires either the SAT or ACT, however they will waive this requirement for students with a 3.3+ GPA or who rank in the top 10% of their class. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.955136%1030–116020–25
Hillsdale CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyHillsdale College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores.220836.01%1340–149530–34
Trinity College (Hartford)YesAll / Permanent PolicyTrinity offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.595236.04%1310–142030–32
College of William and MaryYesAll / Permanent PolicyWilliam and Mary offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply without SAT or ACT scores.1747536.54%1360–152031–34
Kenyon CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Kenyon has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2023 semester.760136.55%1360–147031–34
Franklin and Marshall CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyFranklin and Marshall College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission. Franklin and Marshall does not offer merit-based aid.772037.54%1260–141029–32
San Diego State UniversityYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.6766037.9%1130–132022–29
Occidental CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyOxy offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores.649538.24%1350–147030–33
Brandeis UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyBrandeis University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.979639.14%1390–150031–34
Bryn Mawr CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyBryn Mawr offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, international students are not eligible for test optional admission.339139.34%1290–146030–33
Emerson CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyEmerson College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.1332440.6%1220–138027–32
Lafayette CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Lafayette College extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.826240.74%1330–144030–33
Connecticut CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyConnecticut College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.768240.95%1353–145030–33
Austin CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyAustin College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.415142.57%1120–133023–29
College of the Holy CrossYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe College of the Holy Cross offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.649842.87%1240–142028–32
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024RPI has extended their temporary test optional police to the 2023–24 admission cycle. However, students applying to the Physician-Scientist Program will be required to submit the appropriate testing. 2040242.99%1330–150029–33
CUNY—Baruch CollegeYes (TF)2021, 2022The CUNY system has extended their temporary test free policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.2030343.4%1130–1330—
Reed CollegeYes (TF)2021, 2022, 2023Reed has extended their temporary test free admission policy to the Fall 2023 period.701043.81%1330–150030–34
Syracuse UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Syracuse extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admissions cycle.3529944.38%1180–138026–30
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityYes2021, 2022Illinois Wesleyan has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021-22 admission cycle. Test optional applicants must have an interview with their admissions counselor and submit an essay.454345.23%1130–132024–29
Binghamton University—SUNYYes2021, 2022, 2023Binghamton University (SUNY) has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.3853345.3%1320–146030–33
Loyola Marymount UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023LMU has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.1904545.82%1260–141028–32
Lehigh UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Lehigh has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.1410745.97%1340–146030–34
University of California—DavisYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.7622546.32%1160–137025–31
California State University—Long BeachYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.6709246.87%——
Union College (Schenectady, NY)YesAll / Permanent PolicyUnion College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and those applying for the Leadership in Medicine program or the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program are not eligible for test optional admission.747047.03%1270–145028–32
North Carolina State University—RaleighYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The UNC System has reinstated their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024.3289347.23%1290–143027–32
St. Olaf CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicySt. Olaf College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.649447.43%1240–142028–33
Clark UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyClark University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, international students are not eligible for test optional admission.815148.03%1220–138027–30
Stony Brook University—SUNYYes2021, 2022, 2023Stony Brook University (SUNY) has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.3882648.06%1320–146029–33
Dickinson CollegeYes (TF)2021, 2022, 2023Dickinson has extended their temporary test free policy to the Fall 2023 semester.636648.08%1383–1465—
Clemson UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Clemson has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.4700749.22%1240–140027–32
George Washington UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyGeorge Washington University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants applying to the accelerated Seven-Year B.A./M.D. Program, students who attend secondary schools that do not provide letter grades, homeschooled students, and recruited NCAA Division 1 athletes are not eligible for test optional admission (unless allowed by the NCAA).2723649.71%1320–146030–34
Spelman CollegeYes2021, 2022Spelman has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.1117650.76%1070–124020–26
Rollins CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyRollins offers a test optional policy ("test scores waived option"), which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants to the 3/2 Accelerated Management Program or the Honors Degree Program must submit test scores.804950.86%1180–133025–29
Southwestern UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicySouthwestern University has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and international students are not eligible for test optional admission.475751.04%1155–132025–31
The College of New JerseyYes2021, 2022, 2023The College of New Jersey has adopted a three-year, test optional policy for all applicants, beginning in the 2020-21 admission cycle.1319951.25%1150–130024–30
University of DallasYes2021, 2022University of Dallas has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.464551.63%1130–133523–30
University of Maryland—College ParkYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2025UMD has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 application cycle.5014651.99%1340–149030–34
Mount Holyoke CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyMount Holyoke College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.397152.3%1340–147031–35
Wofford CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyWofford College has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, international students are not eligible for test optional admission.434952.47%1220–139028–32
University of San DiegoYes (TF)2021, 2022, 2023University of San Diego has extended their temporary test free policy to the Fall 2023 semester.1432652.7%——
Pepperdine UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Pepperdine has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.1185552.71%1280–143025–30
Soka University of AmericaYes2021, 2022Soka University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester.51352.83%1220–136524–28
Stevens Institute of TechnologyYes2021, 2022, 2023Stevens Institute of Technology has extended their temporary test optional policy, with some exceptions, for Fall 2023.1132053%1370–151031–34
Southern Methodist UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023SMU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.1568553.13%1350–149031–34
University of Washington—SeattleYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of Washington—Seattle offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.4884053.48%1240–145029–34
Texas Christian UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023TCU has extended their temporary test optional policy through 2023.1978253.61%1140–134526–31
Santa Clara UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Santa Clara University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023 terms.1684853.98%1300–146029–33
Sarah Lawrence CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicySarah Lawrence College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.367454.63%1230–139027–32
University of La VerneYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of La Verne offers a test optional policy, which allows first-year applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.686454.82%1040–119019–24
Marist CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyMarist College offers a test optional policy, offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students applying to some programs are not eligible for test optional admission.1171555%1210–134026–31
California State Polytechnic University—PomonaYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.3666055.48%1030–125019–27
University of ConnecticutYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026UConn has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2026 term.3675355.6%1230–143027–33
Fairfield UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyFairfield University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1267455.81%1240–137027–31
Gettysburg CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyGettysburg College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, Gettysburg recommends that both international and homeschooled students submit SAT or ACT scores.620656.33%1280–143028–32
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityYes2021, 2022Virginia Tech has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.4205456.47%1210–141026–35
St. Lawrence UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicySt. Lawrence offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, international students are not eligible for test optional admission.521756.55%1230–138029–32
Baylor UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Baylor has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle. However, homeschooled students, students who attend schools that only provide narrative evaluations, and students who graduate high school early are not eligible for test optional admissions.3658856.69%1170–135025–32
Colorado School of MinesYesAll / Permanent PolicyMines offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1202256.88%1320–146029–33
Rhodes CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Rhodes College has adopted a three-year, test optional policy for all first-year applicants beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. After a three-year pilot period, Rhodes will re-evaluate whether to continue the test optional policy indefinitely or reinstate a testing requirement for admission.531856.88%1320–145028–32
Ohio State University—ColumbusYes2021, 2022, 2023OSU has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023. 5818057.18%1260–142026–32
New SchoolYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe New School offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.941357.41%1150–138025–30
Hampden-Sydney CollegeYes2021, 2022Hampden-Sydney College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester.305657.43%1060–132020–27
Lake Forest CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyLake Forest College has a test-optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. Test optional applicants must complete an interview. Homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.448257.61%1100–127523–30
Pennsylvania State University—University ParkYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Penn State has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2025 term.7857857.61%1200–140026–32
Morehouse CollegeYes2021, 2022Morehouse has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admissions cycle.355457.88%1010–121020–25
California State University—FresnoYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.1812257.94%950–113016–22
Providence CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyProvidence College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1112957.98%1120–131526–31
Saint Louis UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicySaint Louis University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT/ACT scores.1557358.28%1170–138025–30
Fordham UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Fordham University has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2024 admissions.4627558.3%1320–145030–33
Whitman CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyWhitman College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, international and homeschooled students are strongly encouraged to submit SAT or ACT scores.527458.68%1275–141529–33
University of California—Santa CruzYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.6182258.9%——
Brigham Young University—ProvoYes2021, 2022, 2023BYU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.1160859.18%1230–142026–32
Texas Lutheran UniversityYes2021, 2022TLU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester.268359.3%1018–116019–24
California State University—FullertonYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.4514059.43%935–116016–25
Texas A&M University—College StationYes2021, 2022, 2023Texas A&M has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.4411059.59%1160–137025–31
University of Illinois—Urbana-ChampaignYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign offers a test optional oplicy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT/ACT scores.4759359.66%1340–151029–34
St. John's College—AnnapolisYesAll / Permanent PolicySt. John's College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students who will not earn high school diplomas are not eligible for test optional admission. Most international students are not eligible for test optional admission.90959.85%1200–142026–32
Bennington CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyBennington has a test-optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores.138259.99%1240–136025–31
Worcester Polytechnic InstituteYes (TF)2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029WPI has adopted an eight year test free policy, which means the university does not accept scores in the application process, beginning with the Fall 2021 application cycle.1109260.21%——
Sewanee: University of the SouthYesAll / Permanent PolicySewanee—The University of the South offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.416260.26%1210–138026–31
University of Wisconsin—MadisonYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The University of Wisiconsin—Madison has extended its temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 admission cycle.5382960.31%1350–148028–32
Chapman UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyChapman offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students who graduate from schools without traditional grades are not eligible for test optional admission.1509860.37%1223–140026–31
Birmingham-Southern College YesAll / Permanent PolicyBirmingham-Southern College offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants who select test optional admission are required to have an interview with an admissions counselor.246060.45%1020–139022–28
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University—Daytona BeachYesAll / Permanent PolicyEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers a test optional policy, which allows most students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Homeschooled students must provide SAT or ACT scores and show academic strength through AP Exams.958160.6%1130–132023–30
The College of WoosterYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe College of Wooster offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.661160.63%1250–141026–32
Biola UniversityYes2021, 2022Biola University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester.435460.77%1133–134022–29
Bentley UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Bentley University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.931160.94%1250–140029–32
SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryYes2021, 2022SUNY ESF has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.201861.4%1120–131023–29
Abilene Christian UniversityYes2021, 2022ACU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle. However, only students who submit test scores will be considered for the honors college. 1137961.48%1015–123021–28
Lipscomb UniversityYes2021, 2022Lipscomb University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 term.362161.5%1090–129022–29
University of South CarolinaYes2021, 2022, 2023The University of South Carolina has extended their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2023 admissions.4204561.56%1150–134026–31
Wabash CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Wabash has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.163561.59%1150–132523–29
Muhlenberg CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyMuhlenberg College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.454362.18%1170–134026–31
Luther CollegeYes2021, 2022Luther College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.410862.27%1040–127022–28
Truman State UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Truman State University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2023 semester. Students applying to the nursing major must submit scores. Test scores are also required to be eligible for some scholarships or programs.459562.61%1150–135024–31
Wayne State UniversityYes2021, 2022WSU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.1530562.74%1010–122021–28
Coe CollegeYes*All / Permanent PolicyCoe College requires either the SAT or ACT, however, it will waive this requirement if you have a 3.0+ GPA. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.743163.33%1050–125521–27
University of VermontYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Vermont has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022-23 admission cycle.2555963.51%1250–140029–33
University of DenverYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Denver offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.2269463.63%1220–137027–31
Virginia Military InstituteYes2021, 2022VMI has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle. 154963.91%1090–126022–27
American UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyAmerican University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1965064.09%1290–143029–33
DePauw UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyDePauw University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students who wish to apply for an Honor Scholar or Fellows program are not eligible for test optional admission.569564.67%1180–140024–31
University of New MexicoYesAll / Permanent PolicyUNM offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without test scores. However, home-schooled and non-traditional students are not eligible for TO admission. Scores are also necessary for some scholarships.1402664.73%—20–26
Bard CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyBard College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.491264.76%1234–141327–31
Furman UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyFurman University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.519465.25%1260–138228–32
Drury UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyDrury University offers a test optional policy, which allows domestic students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.194965.42%1070–125023–30
University of HoustonYes*All / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Houston requires the SAT or ACT. However, they will waive this requirement for students who rank in the top 10% of their class or have a 3.45+ GPA.2972165.52%1160–131023–28
University of Massachusetts—AmherstYesAll / Permanent PolicyUMass Amherst offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores.4254065.53%1270–145028–33
University of California—RiversideYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.5267565.84%——
New Jersey Institute of TechnologyYes2021, 2022The New Jersey Institute of Technology has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admissions cycle.1029966.03%1200–137025–31
Illinois Institute of TechnologyYes2021, 2022Illinois Institute of Technology has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester.652066.1%1230–140026–32
Georgia StateYes*2022, 2023The University System of Georgia has announced that all institutions will resume test score admission requirements beginning with the Spring semester of 2022. Any student applying to a University System of Georgia school in 2022 and beyond will have to submit an SAT or ACT test score. However, students applying to Georgia State with a 3.4+ GPA may be considered without scores. 2445766.65%970–115020–26
University of PittsburghYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Pitt has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 admission cycle.3465666.68%1250–147028–33
Milwaukee School of EngineeringYes2021, 2022MSOE has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.452266.72%1190–137024–30
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—New BrunswickYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Rutgers has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2023–24 admission cycle.4126366.93%1180–141025–32
Ohio Wesleyan UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyOhio Wesleyan University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.428167.27%1080–133022–28
Beloit CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyBeloit offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.327767.32%1230–138024–28
Pratt InstituteYes2021, 2022Pratt has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester.789667.34%1190–141027–32
Yeshiva UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyYeshiva offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for regular admission without SAT/AC scores. However, honors applicants are required to submit scores.144267.41%1160–141024–31
Hobart and William Smith CollegesYesAll / Permanent PolicyHobart and William Smith Colleges offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.377267.5%1170–138028–32
Stonehill CollegeYes (TF)2021, 2022Stonehill College has has extended their temporary test free policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.696167.69%1120–129024–28.5
Hofstra UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyHofstra Univeristy offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and international students are not eligible for test optional admission.2488667.76%1180–137027–31
University of North Carolina—WilmingtonYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The UNC System has reinstated their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024.1579267.98%1220–132024–28
University at Albany—SUNYYes2021, 2022, 2023The University at Albany—SUNY has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.2126567.99%1090–128022–29
Oklahoma State UniversityYes2021, 2022Oklahoma State University has extended their temporary test optional policy for students applying in the 2021-22 admission cycle. However, test scores are required for most university scholarships.1693968.36%1045–125020–27
Concordia College—MoorheadYesAll / Permanent PolicyConcordia College offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.339568.37%956–134321–27
Millsaps CollegeYes2021, 2022Millsaps College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.522368.81%1080–129021–26
Ball StateYesAll / Permanent PolicyBall State University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students whose high schools do not provide grades are not eligible for test optional admission.2447568.88%——
Drake UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyDrake University offers a test optional policy, which it refers to as a "test-flexible" plan, which allows students to either write an essay or sit for an interview in lieu of submitting test scores. However, homeschooled students, as well as applicants to certain programs, are not eligible for test optional admission.793269.05%1190–138025–31
Earlham CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyEarlham offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, international students and homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.165969.08%1110–132026–30
Queens University of CharlotteYesAll / Permanent PolicyQueens University of Charlotte offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores, though they encourage applicants to submit scores.350369.2%1070–121020–27
DePaul UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyDePaul University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and international students are not eligible for test optional admission.3207569.44%1090–1290—
Ripon CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyRipon College offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.290069.52%990–122019–25
Agnes Scott CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyAgnes Scott College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.162569.85%1170–139027–31
Washington CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyWashington College has a test-optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled applicants and internantional applicants are not eligible for test optional admission.289369.86%1170–135027–32
University of Hawaii at ManoaYes2021, 2022University of Hawaii has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 application cycle.1961269.96%——
Hendrix CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyHendrix College has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and international students who are native speakers of English are not eligible for test optional admission.162869.96%1150–137025–31
Texas State UniversityYes*2021, 2022Texas State requires either the SAT or the ACT. However, Fall 2022 applicants may apply test-optional if they are in the top 75% of their class. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.3107369.99%1000–117018–25
Texas Tech UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Texas Tech has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2025 entry terms.2913170.03%1070–124022–27
St. Mary's College of CaliforniaYesAll / Permanent PolicySt. Mary's offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without test scores. However, student-athletes, homeschooled students, and students attending schools that don't give grades must provide test scores.352370.08%——
University at Buffalo—SUNYYes2021, 2022, 2023University at Buffalo-SUNY has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.3075070.09%1180–136025–31
Augustana CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyAugustana College has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. Test optional applicants may be asked to complete an interview. However, homeschooled applicants and international applicants are not eligible for test optional admission.664070.48%1170–127023–30
Louisiana State University—Baton RougeYes*All / Permanent PolicyLSU requires SAT or ACT scores, however students who earn at least a 3.0 GPA on core classes or 18 early college credits with a 2.5 GPA may apply without test scores.3656170.86%1130–130023–29
Knox CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyKnox College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.303870.87%1180–136024–31
Randolph-Macon CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyRandolph-Macon College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT/ACT scores.246070.89%1050–124021–27
University of San FranciscoYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of San Francisco offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.2237270.92%1200–137026–31
St. John Fisher UniversityYes2021, 2022St. John Fisher College has adopted a two-year test optional policy beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. They will reevaluate their policy after two years.451571.1%1120–126023–29
Auburn UniversityYes*2021, 2022, 2023Auburn requires either the SAT or the ACT. However, Fall 2023 applicants with a 3.6+ GPA may apply test-optional. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.2761971.18%1180–133024–30
Rochester Institute of TechnologyYesAll / Permanent PolicyRochester Institute of Technology offers a test optional policy, which allows students applying to most programs to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Students applying to imaging science, motion picture science, and photographic sciences within the College of Art & Design must still provide test scores2168371.2%1270–145029–33
Elmhurst CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyElmhurst offers a test optional policy. Students who choose to apply TO will be required to submit an essay.376271.29%1010–121022–29
Whittier CollegeYes*All / Permanent PolicyWhittier College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without test scores. Students with a GPA below 3.0 may be asked to submit standardized test scores.503672.28%1050–124021–28
Temple UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyTemple University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, home-schooled applicants, recruited student athletes, and international applicants are not eligible for test optional admission.3757172.33%1120–132024–31
St. John's University (NY)YesAll / Permanent PolicySt. John's University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students, some international students, students applying for several specific majors, and prospective student athletes are not eligible for test optional admission.2905972.34%1080–130023–29
Gustavus Adolphus CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyGustavus Adolphus College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.379972.57%—26–31
Albion CollegeYes2021, 2022Albion has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 term.686472.6%990–123019–29
University of DelawareYes2021, 2022University of Delaware has extended their temporary test optional policy for all students applying to the Fall 2022 term.3396572.66%1170–135026–31
University of Illinois—ChicagoYesAll / Permanent PolicyUIC offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT/ACT scores.2269672.7%1030–126021–28
Taylor UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyTaylor University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Students who choose not to submit scores may be asked to provide more information or complete proficiency exams.203772.85%1130–132023–30
Drew UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyDrew University offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.398973.15%1120–130024–30
University of Minnesota—Twin CitiesYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025University of Minnesota—Twin Cities has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2025 terms.3590573.23%1320–147027–32
High Point UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyHigh Point University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, students seeking some merit scholarship or those who wish to be placed in the Honors Program need to submit test scores.1129873.76%1090–126022–28
SUNY—GeneseoYesAll / Permanent PolicySUNY-Geneseo offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT/ACT scores.910373.85%1180–132025–30
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—NewarkYesAll / Permanent PolicyRutgers—Newark offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores. 1350674.09%1010–117018–23
Kalamazoo CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyKalamazoo College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.345674.33%1150–136025–30
California Lutheran UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyCalifornia Lutheran University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission, and test scores are required to qualify for some merit scholarships.556874.39%1070–124020–27
Clarkson UniversityYes2021, 2022Clarkson University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.667374.6%1160–135023–30
Hollins UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyHollins offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT/ACT scores.309374.72%1090–133025–30
University of RedlandsYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Redlands offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.471374.75%1100–125023–28
Lawrence UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyLawrence University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.290774.96%1230–146027–32
Allegheny CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyAllegheny College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores. However, international students are not eligible for test optional admission.466775.44%1140–135023–28
Presbyterian College (SC)YesAll / Permanent PolicyPresbyterian College offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.214175.48%1000–123019–26
Butler UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyButler University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants who major in Pre-Pharmacy, Health Sciences, and Healthcare and Business programs, students who attend secondary schools that do not provide letter grades, homeschooled students, and transfer applicants who have completed fewer than 20 college credits are not eligible for test optional admission.1459275.69%1160–131025–30
John Brown UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyJBU offers a test optional admission policy. However, some international students may be required to submit scores.117675.77%1060–126023–29
Bradley UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyBradley University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1010975.86%1070–127024–30
College of CharlestonYes2021, 2022, 2023The College of Charleston has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.2048476.11%1110–126023–29
Mississippi State UniversityYes2021, 2022Mississippi State has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.1770776.12%1030–128021–30
Gonzaga UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyGonzaga University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without test scores.885376.15%1230–137827–31
Centre CollegeYes2021, 2022, 2023Centre College has adopted a three-year, test optional policy for first year students beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. After a three-year pilot period, Centre will re-evaluate whether to continue the test optional policy indefinitely or reinstate a testing requirement for admission.221276.4%1130–138026–32
University of Rhode IslandYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Rhode Island has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022 and 2023 admission cycles.2510576.46%1130–128025–30
California State University—Los AngelesYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.3144276.48%890–106015–20
University of MissouriYes2021, 2022, 2023Mizzou has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2023 term.1996676.55%1130–135023–30
Creighton UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyCreighton offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants to the nursing program and homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.868176.63%1155–132024–30
Adelphi UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Adelphi University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admissions cycle.1611677%1080–127022–27
Central Michigan UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023CMU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2023 semester. However, homeschooled students or students whose high schools do not provide grades are not eligible for TO admission.1851777.08%1010–122320–26
Wheaton College (MA)YesAll / Permanent PolicyWheaton College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, Wheaton encourages students whose first language is not English to submit their SAT or ACT scores along with the required English proficiency testing.358077.09%1180–134025–31
Berry CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyBerry College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply without standardized test scores.416777.2%1100–127024–30
St. Mary's College of MarylandYesAll / Permanent PolicySaint Mary's College of Maryland has a test-optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled applicants and applicants with non-traditional academic transcripts are not eligible for test optional admission.287277.33%1140–133026–32
Elon UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Elon has adopted a three-year, test optional policy for all first-year and transfer applicants, beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. After a three-year period, Elon will re-evaluate whether to continue the test optional policy indefinitely or reinstate a testing requirement for admission.1783477.71%1175–133025–30
Ithaca CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyIthaca College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.1344577.73%1210–133027–31
Mercer UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Mercer University has adopted a three-year test optional policy. After Fall 2023, they will reevaluate.565178.16%1170–133025–31
Seton Hall UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Seton Hall has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2026 term.2083078.23%1150–130024–29
Loyola University New OrleansYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyStarting with the Fall 2021 application cycle, Loyola will not require a standardized test score for its university admission application and will not consider a test score, should a student choose to submit.745578.27%——
Carroll CollegeYes*All / Permanent PolicyCarroll College requires either the SAT or ACT, however it will waive this requirement for students with a 3.0+ unweighted GPA. Students who are homeschooled, wish to apply to Direct Entry Nursing, or wish to participate in intercollegiate atheletics are not elligible for test optional admission. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.270978.33%1070–127022–28
Northern Arizona UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyNorthern Arizona University offers a test optional policy, which allows first-year applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, scores required to receive merit-based scholarships.4287278.35%1070–126019–26
Hanover CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyHanover College offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.226378.57%1070–122023–29
University of AlabamaYes2021, 2022, 2023Bama has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2023 term.4242178.9%1080–137021–31
Westmont CollegeYes2021, 2022Westmont College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 application cycle.235178.95%1160–146026–31
Baldwin Wallace UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyBaldwin Wallace University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without test scores. However, home schooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.425079.01%1050–123521–27
University of the PacificYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of the Pacific offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1090179.3%1120–138024–32
Willamette UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyWillamette University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without SAT or ACT scores.368079.38%1200–140032–35
Lewis & Clark CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyLewis and Clark offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Prior to the 2020-21 admission cycle, students who chose not to submit standardized test scores had to submit an academic portfolio in lieu of scores. However, students will no longer be required to submit a portfolio.551979.45%1250–141027–32
Appalachian State UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The UNC System has reinstated their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024.1817879.51%1180–122022–27
University of Colorado—BoulderYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Colorado—Boulder offers a test optional admission policy.5475679.58%1180–138025–31
University of North Carolina—CharlotteYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The UNC System has reinstated their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024.2036579.6%1140–130021–26
Indiana University—BloomingtonYesAll / Permanent PolicyIndiana University—Bloomington offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students who attend schools with nontraditional grading systems are not eligible for test optional admission.4600080%1200–140027–32
University of North GeorgiaYes*2022, 2023The University System of Georgia has announced that all institutions will resume test score admission requirements beginning with the Spring semester of 2022. Any student applying to a University System of Georgia school in 2022 and beyond will have to submit an SAT or ACT test score. However, students applying to UNG with a 3.0+ GPA may be considered without scores. 774880.24%1050–122020–26
University of Texas, Rio Grande ValleyYes2021, 2022, 2023UTRGV has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.1209780.41%950–112017–22
University of DaytonYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of Dayton offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT/ACT scores.1726280.63%1130–135022–29
Cornell CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyCornell College has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. Students who apply test optional are expected to respond to two additional written prompts on their applications, and to submit portfolios.283681.1%1130–138024–30
University of PortlandYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Portland has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.1204481.19%1160–136026–31
Illinois StateYesAll / Permanent PolicyIllinois State offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without standardized test scores.1548781.31%1030–121021–26
University of IdahoYes*2021, 2022The University of Idahos requires either the SAT or the ACT. However, Fall 2022 applicants may apply test-optional with a 2.6+ GPA. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.981481.38%1000–121020–28
St. Mary's College (IN)YesAll / Permanent PolicySaint Mary's College has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and international students are not eligible for test optional admission.241181.5%1065–125022–28
Kennesaw State UniversityYes*2022, 2023The University System of Georgia has announced that all institutions will resume test score admission requirements beginning with the Spring semester of 2022. Any student applying to a University System of Georgia school in 2022 and beyond will have to submit an SAT or ACT test score. However, students applying to Kennesaw State with a 3.2+ GPA may be considered without scores. 2080681.59%1060–124020–26
West Virginia UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023WVU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.1863981.61%1050–124021–27
University of Alaska, AnchorageYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Alaska, Anchorage offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.435281.87%1020–122017–24
University of Mary WashingtonYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of Mary Washington offers a test optional policy, which allows students to petition to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, students applying for the Pre-Nursing Program or merit based scholarships and homeschooled students are not eligible for test choice.504281.95%1140–132026–31
Seattle UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicySeattle University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled applicants are not elligible for test optional admission.853982.12%1120–132024–31
Goucher CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyGoucher College offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.272482.34%1133–133326–30
Quinnipiac UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyQuinnipiac University offers a test optional policy, which allows most students applying to the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Communications and School of Engineering to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. Homeschooled students and students playing a Division I sport must provide test scores.1978782.43%1080–125022–27
Simmons UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicySimmons University offers a test optional policy.290582.55%1080–125024–29
Drexel UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Drexel has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.3451982.63%1210–140026–32
University of Arkansas—FayettevilleYes*2021, 2022, 2023The University of Arkansas requires either the SAT or the ACT. Fall 2023 applicants with a 3.2+ GPA may apply test optional, however, they are required to submit scores for enrollment. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.2146282.67%1050–121021–28
Ursinus CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyUrsinus College has a test-optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admissions without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled applicants and applicants with narrative-style transcripts are not eligible for test optional admission.381882.71%1200–135027–32
Western Michigan UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyWMU offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT/ACT scores.1885382.81%1000–120021–27
Siena CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicySiena College offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants must meet certain academic requirements to apply test optional. Additionally, applicants to select programs are not eligible for test optional admission.859782.83%1150–130026–30
University of Texas—ArlingtonYes2021, 2022University of Texas, Arlington has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.1265082.89%1040–125020–27
University of Washington—BothellYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of Washington—Bothell offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT/ACT scores.442383.02%1028–128319–31
Boise StateYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyBoise State offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT/ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students who attend non-accredited high schools are required to submit test scores.1564883.13%——
University of St. Thomas (MN)YesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of St. Thomas offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.671883.16%1160–135024–29
Michigan State UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyMichigan State offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.5063083.25%1110–131023–29
University of Nevada—Las VegasYes*All / Permanent PolicyUNLV requires either the SAT or ACT, however, they will waive the requirement for students with a 3.0+ GPA. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.1303483.47%990–120018–25
University of AkronYes2021, 2022The University of Akron has extended their temporary test optional for the 2021–22 admission cycle.1176083.56%950–119018–26
Oregon State UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyOregon State University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1578683.59%1080–132021–28
Point Loma Nazarene UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyPLNU does not require an SAT or ACT score for admission. Some merit aid at PLNU does still require a test score to be awarded.306083.66%1190–134022–30
Washington and Jefferson CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyWashington and Jefferson College has a test-optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores.315083.68%1040–129021–31
Mills CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyMills College offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students who graduate from schools without traditional grades are not eligible for test optional admission.84883.84%——
University of UtahYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The University of Utah has extended their test optional policy to students applying through Fall 2024. However, students who have GEDs, who attend a non-accredited high school, or who are applying for direct admission into select programs are not eligible for TO. Test scores are also required for merit scholarships.2064484%1190–138022–30
Xavier UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyXavier University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without test scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.1519984.02%1100–129022–28
San Francisco State UniversityYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.3143084.09%940–113016–23
Samford UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Samford University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2023 term.386784.1%1060–123023–29
Loyola University MarylandYesAll / Permanent PolicyLoyola University Maryland offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.928684.21%1170–135027–30
University of North TexasYes*2021, 2022University of North Texas requires either the SAT or ACT. However, they will waive this requirement for students with a 3.0+ GPA. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.2130884.35%1050–123019–26
San Jose State UniversityYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.3044284.37%1030–131020–31
Eastern Michigan UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Eastern Michigan University has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.1750684.61%950–118018–25
University of CincinnatiYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The University of Cincinnati has extended its temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024. However, standardized test scores are still required for admission into some programs.2594984.93%1160–134024–29
University of OklahomaYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025University of Oklahoma has adopted a five-year test optional policy beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. Test scores are encouraged for scholarship consideration.1731885.23%1150–133023–29
California State University—ChicoYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.1999085.32%985–118018–24
The Catholic University of AmericaYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Catholic University of America has adopted a test free policy, which means they will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission.566885.36%1130–133024–29
Missouri University of Science & TechnologyYes2021, 2022Missouri S&T has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.553385.4%1330–142026–32
Michigan Technological UniversityYes*2021, 2022Michigan Technological University has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester. However, homeschooled students and students with a GPA below 3.0 may be asked to submit test scores.804185.75%1138–132025–31
Washington State UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyWSU offers a test free policy, which means they do not consider SAT/ACT scores as part of the admissions process.1819785.77%1020–124018–25
St. Michael's CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicySt. Michael's College has a test-optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled applicants are not eligible for test optional admission.235985.88%1140–130026–28
University of IowaYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Iowa is test optional, which means eligible students can apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores.2243486.21%1140–133022–29
James Madison UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyJames Madison University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.2117686.25%1150–130024–29
Marquette UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyMarquette University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores, to both domestic and international applicants.1627086.26%1200–135025–30
Pacific Lutheran UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyPacific Lutheran University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants from schools with written evaluations rather than grades and homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission. Applicants to the nursing program, students interested in teaching, and international applicants strongly encouraged to submit scores.330686.3%1110–129023–29
The CitadelYes2021, 2022The Citadel has extended their temporary test optional polcy to the 2021–22 admission cycle. However, students educated in a non-traditional setting and those seeking to participate in sports (unless waived by the NCAA) are required to submit scores.247086.4%1090–124022–28
Missouri State UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyMissouri State University requires either the SAT or ACT, however, it will waive the requirement for students with a 3.25+ GPA. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.959186.57%1060–120021–27
University of California—MercedYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe UC system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT/ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.2779586.6%1140–139023–32
University of New HampshireYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of New Hampshire offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, all Division 1 athletic recruits are required to submit standardized test scores.2015086.71%1120–129025–31
Wheaton College (IL)Yes2021, 2022Wheaton has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.180087%1230–143026–32
University of South DakotaYes*All / Permanent PolicyUniversity of South Dakota requires either the SAT or ACT. However, they will waive this requirement for students who have a 2.6+ GPA, rank in the top 50% of their class, or achieve a 3 or higher on the English Language Arts and Mathematics Smarter Balanced Assessments. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.427187.01%1050–125019–25
University of ArizonaYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Arizona offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants to the UA Honors College, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Nursing, the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, and College of Engineering and homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.4820287.13%1140–136021–29
University of Texas—DallasYes2021, 2022University of Texas-Dallas has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 term.1883887.21%1190–141025–32
Kent StateYesAll / Permanent PolicyKent State requires either the SAT or ACT. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.1988187.31%1000–120019–25
Towson UniversityYes2021, 2022, 2023Towson has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.1161687.92%1050–121021–26
Susquehanna UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicySusquehanna University offers a test optional policy, which allows applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.468888.03%1090–125022–28
California State University—NorthridgeYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.2365688.1%——
University of MississippiYes*2021, 2022, 2023Ole Miss has extended their temporary test optional policy for students with a 2.0+ GPA applying in the 2022–23 admission cycle. Although they are not requiring a standardized test score for admission for the 2023–24 academic year, ACT/SAT scores are still very important for scholarships, some aid programs and for academic placement.1625388.14%1020–125021–29
Arizona State UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyASU requires either the SAT or ACT, however, it will waive this requirement for students with a 3.0+ GPA or who rank in the top 25% of their class. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.6160388.19%——
University of Puget SoundYesAll / Permanent PolicyPuget Sound offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, students who attend secondary schools that do not provide letter grades and homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.502588.3%1150–137027–32
University of Nebraska—LincolnYes*All / Permanent PolicyThe University of Nebraska-Lincoln requires either the SAT or the ACT. However, it will waive this requriement for students with a 3.0+ GPA or who rank in the top half of their class. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.1777588.33%1100–131022–28
Christopher Newport UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyChristopher Newport University requires either the SAT or ACT, however they will waive this requirement for students with a 3.5+ GPA or who rank in the top 10% of their class. For students applying in the 2020-21 admission cycle, there is no minimum GPA for test optional admission.669988.54%1110–121025–27
Ohio UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyOhio University has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores.2173388.55%1070–129022–27
Miami University—OxfordYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Miami Ohio has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 admission cycle.2999088.6%1180–135024–30
University of North DakotaYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of North Dakota offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply without SAT or ACT scores.596289.03%1120–126520–26
Colorado State UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyColorado State University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores.3158689.64%1090–128023–29
Transylvania UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyTransylvania University has a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores. However, test optional applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the Transylvania campus for an in-depth interview.178289.73%1080–135023–30
George Mason UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyGeorge Mason University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, students who major in computer science and engineering majors, home-schooled applicants, and students seeking to become a member of one of George Mason's NCAA intercollegiate athletics teams are not eligible for test optional admission. The Volgenau School of Engineering entering classes of 2020 and 2021 are exempt from the 550 SAT Math/24 ACT Math requirement.2052790.42%1150–134025–30
University of Texas, San AntonioYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Texas, San Antonio has extended their temporary test optional policy to Fall 2023.2172690.5%1030–122018–26
Georgia Southern UniversityYes*2022, 2023The University System of Georgia has announced that all institutions will resume test score admission requirements beginning with the Spring semester of 2022. Any student applying to a University System of Georgia school in 2022 and beyond will have to submit an SAT or ACT test score. However, students applying to Georgia Southern with a 3.2+ GPA may be considered without scores. 1870190.55%1010–119018–24
Montclair StateYesAll / Permanent PolicyMontclair State offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.1869190.75%1010–1205—
University of North Carolina—GreensboroYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The UNC System has reinstated their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024.1069690.83%1100–123521–26
Utah StateYes2021, 2022USU has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester..1527690.95%1050–131021–28
California State University—San BernardinoYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.1305790.97%850–103014–20
Humboldt State University Yes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.702591.07%1023–125822–29
Iowa State UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyIowa State is test optional, which means eligible students can apply for admission without SAT or ACT scores.2035791.12%1100–132021–28
Stetson UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyStetson University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.926091.64%1010–123020–26
College of St. BenedictYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe College of Saint Benedict offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students, students who attend schools with nontraditional grading systems, and applicants to the Nursing Early Admission Program are not eligible for test optional admission.170491.84%1040–125521–27
Duquesne UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyDuquesne offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores.963491.93%1160–129024–29
Loyola University ChicagoYesAll / Permanent PolicyLoyola University Chicago offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without standardized test scores. However, students applying for admission to the Bachelor of Nursing and Engineering Science programs will still be required to submit a self-reported test score as part of the requirement for review.3159792.15%1180–135027–32
Hope CollegeYes2021, 2022Hope College has extended their temporary test optional policy to the 2021–22 admission cycle.417292.38%1120–133025–32
University of KansasYes*All / Permanent PolicyThe University of Kansas requires either the SAT or the ACT. However, they will waive the requirement for students with a 3.4+ GPA. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.1527592.5%1090–132021–29
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityYesAll / Permanent PolicyVirginia Commonwealth University offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply without SAT or ACT scores. However, submission of test scores remains a requirement for all Guaranteed Admission Programs in the Honors College. All first-year applicants will be considered for scholarships as long as other scholarship consideration requirements are met. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.1772692.71%1080–130020–29
California State University—Monterey BayYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.1002692.81%1018–121021–29
Goshen CollegeYesAll / Permanent PolicyGoshen offers a test optional policy, which allows students to apply for admission without SAT/AC scores.97992.85%1000–128821–31
Valparaiso UniversityYes2021, 2022Valparaiso has adopted a two-year test optional policy. They will reevaluate their policy after the 2022 admission cycle.609593.17%——
University of OregonYesAll / Permanent PolicyThe University of Oregon offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, applicants from nonaccredited schools and homeschooled students are not eligible for test optional admission.3155893.42%1120–133022–30
California State University—SacramentoYes (TF)All / Permanent PolicyThe Cal State system offers a test free policy, meaning they will not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process.2265393.75%880–110016–24
East CarolinaYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The UNC System has reinstated their temporary test optional policy through Fall 2024.2189893.93%1000–120017–23
University of MontanaYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Montana offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT/ACT scores.491093.97%1055–124520–26
University of KentuckyYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024UK has extended their temporary test optional policy to students entering in the 2024–25 school year.2169594.01%1080–131022–29
University of MemphisYes2021, 2022UM has extended their temporary test optional policy to the Fall 2022 semester.1491495.21%——
Kansas State UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyKansas State requires either the SAT or ACT. However, they will waive the requirement for students with a 3.25+ GPA. It does not require the optional ACT Writing Test.982295.61%—20–26
Old Dominion UniversityYes*All / Permanent PolicyODU offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, not all applicants may be eligible for test optional admission. Please check with the university.1358696.23%1020–122020–27
University of MaineYes2021, 2022University of Maine has adopted a two-year, test optional policy for first-year and transfer applicants, beginning with the 2020-21 admission cycle. After a two-year period, UM will re-evaluate whether to continue the test optional policy indefinitely or reinstate a testing requirement for admission.1434496.46%1080–127022–30
University of ToledoYesAll / Permanent PolicyUniversity of Toledo offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, homeschooled students and students whose high schools do not provide grades are not eligible for test optional admission.989396.52%1050–128021–28
University of WyomingYes2021, 2022, 2023University of Wyoming has extended it's temporary test optional policy to the 2022–23 admission cycle.564596.78%1070–127021–27
University of Wisconsin—MilwaukeeYes2021, 2022, 2023, 2024The University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee has extended its temporary test optional policy to the 2024–25 admission cycle.1324297.53%——
Portland StateYes*All / Permanent PolicyPortland State offers a test optional policy, which allows students to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, students who attended homeschool, or a non-accredited, non-standard high school are required to submit test scores.686298.43%1010–127017–26
Western KentuckyYes*All / Permanent PolicyWKU requires either the SAT or ACT. However, it will waive this requirement for students who have a 2.5+ GPA.725598.48%950–115019–25
University of Texas—El PasoYes*All / Permanent PolicyUTEP requires either the SAT or ACT. However, it will waive this requirement for students who rank in the top 10% of their class.1097299.99%900–111017–22
Weber StateYesAll / Permanent PolicyWeber State University offers a test optional policy, which allows first-year applicants to be considered for admission without SAT or ACT scores. However, scores are recommended to help determine scholarship eligibility and Math & English placement.6861100%—18–25
Art Sawyer

About Art Sawyer

Art graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was the top-ranked liberal arts student in his class. Art pioneered the one-on-one approach to test prep in California in 1989 and co-founded Compass Education Group in 2004 in order to bring the best ideas and tutors into students' homes and computers. Although he has attained perfect scores on all flavors of the SAT and ACT, he is routinely beaten in backgammon.

154 Comments

Newer Comments »
  • William says:
    October 22, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    Hi Art,

    I am a senior at Duke University writing an honors thesis about the impacts of collegiate sports success on applications (both quantity and quality) to a university, and I am wondering if you have this information in a dataset containing multiple years (as many as possible). I need to look at the year-to-year changes within the scores, and therefore would very much appreciate access to this information.

    Thank you very much,
    Will

    Reply
  • SSun says:
    September 18, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    Hi, I’m a senior in high school and I go to an IB school, and I have a superscored 1480 in the SAT and I’m almost certain my predicted grade is going to be a 38 out of 45. I was thinking about applying to colleges like Emory, UIUC, U. San Diego. Do you think my scores match up to their range? Am I a competitive applicant?

    Reply
  • Nait says:
    July 24, 2018 at 8:00 am

    Mr. Sawyer,
    My son took ACT and got his ACT score 32 (comp32, Eng34, Sci34, R28, M32). He will be in senior this fall. He is doing well in school leadership and serving in public school committee. He planned to re-take ACT on Sept. 8 so he can improve his Reading and Math. He will apply an early action to Harvard this fall. Can you let me know how much of a chance to his dream/ivy schools?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      August 15, 2018 at 2:38 pm

      Nait,
      I can’t provide your student with the chances that he will be admitted to a dream/ivy. I would say that the 32 would be at the low end of scores for admitted students at the most competitive colleges. Admission is about far more than scores, of course.

      Reply
  • Tiffany says:
    July 11, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    My 5th Grader took her ACT with Writing and SAT Literature. She scored a 17 on her ACT and 20 in Reading. On the SAT Literature test she scored a 400 — I TOLD HER TO TRY FOR EVERY ANSWER!!! Is that a good score for a 5th grader?????? They gave her a verbal IQ test and she scored in 97% percentile. She can be in those gifted and talented programs for young children.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      August 15, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      Tiffany,
      There aren’t norms for such young students, so it is difficult to say exactly. Considering that the average ACT score for high school seniors is about 21, it is an excellent achievement!

      Reply
  • Lewis says:
    June 15, 2018 at 8:43 am

    Dear Mr. Sawyer,
    My school has a GPA 4.0 grading scale and doesn’t offer any extra points above that.
    But last year, the average GPA of the admitted freshman class at Harvard University was 4.04 on the 4.0 scale.
    How am I supposed to compete with others if their schools provide GPA higher than 4.0 ?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      August 7, 2018 at 4:43 pm

      Lewis,
      Harvard — and almost every other college — will look at your unweighted grades. Admission offices prefer to make their own decisions about grades and courses rather than automatically accepting a high school’s weighting. The 4.04 you have seen cited is not accurate.

      Reply
  • George says:
    April 24, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Mr.Sawyer,
    My son is currently in Lincoln Park IB program. It is the top-ranked in Chicago and top hundred in the nation. He is still a junior and there is still another quarter left in his year and he already has a 4.2 weighted GPA. He wishes to become a doctor and has worked for many, shadowed a lot and has taken all the courses that are necessary. He took the ACT and got a 27, and he just finished the SAT. With the 27 and the rest of his achievements how good of a chance does he stand???

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      May 8, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      George,
      My expertise is in admission testing and not admissions, so I don’t feel qualified to state his chances. They certainly vary by college, and there are any number of excellent colleges that will prepare your son well for medical school.

      Reply
  • Anthony says:
    March 28, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    Hello Sir,
    My son took the SAT for the second time and he got 10 more questions correct, however his SAT score remained the same. Could this be a scoring error?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      April 10, 2018 at 11:54 am

      Anthony,
      The raw score to scaled score relationship can vary from test to test. The scaling is meant to adjust for small (well, maybe not so small in your son’s case) differences in overall question difficulty. The second test would have had “easier” questions, so students of the same ability level would have gotten more questions correct on that test. Presumably the 10 questions were spread among Math and ERW, since I’ve never seen a single 200-800 scale be off by that much.

      Reply
  • Lori says:
    February 8, 2018 at 5:15 pm

    Hello Art,

    My son goes to a top private day school (all boys in NYC).
    He took the SAT at the beginning of his junior year, even before the PSAT.
    He scored 800 and 790 (math). On both tests he answered all the questions correctly. On the Math, apparently he skipped one question (unintentionally).
    His only prep for the SAT was one mock test and two private tutoring session just to become familiar with the test and the testing process.
    In light of everything I’ve heard lately, I’m annoyed his college counselor told him “No!” emphatically when my son queried about taking the SAT to try for a perfect 1600. (He also qualified for National Merit but he was told “don’t bother pursuing it.”
    Putting things in perspective he took six APs and scored all 5s (and on the SAT subject tests which are not considered all that meaningful nowadays he scored all 800s)
    The weird thing he’s very strong in math and physics.
    The reason I’m now convinced a 1600 in lieu of a 1590 can really make a difference at his first choice schools (Yale, Brown) is the concept that a 1600 means the particular student might have the potential to reach a much higher ceiling if the test had a much higher bar at the top. Plus, in very competitive merit based scholarships with tons of applicants, (like at USC) where scores count a lot, 1590s can all be automatically eliminated, leaving just candidates with1600s. Lastly, the US Presidential Scholars require a minimum score of 1600 in NY State to even be under consideration.
    I’m definitely flummoxed by the school’s counselor’s attitude especially since it was my son’s first attempt. He has been accepted to Cambridge University (UK) to read Natural Sciences on a master’s track…which every one thinks is very impressive. But he was deferred from Yale (his ED choice).
    Thoughts about whether or not going for the 1600 would have been worth it?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      February 12, 2018 at 5:35 pm

      Lori,
      Your son’s testing portfolio is so strong that the difference between a 1590 and 1600 is definitely of no consequence from an admission standpoint. In defense of your counselor, I don’t know of one who would have provided different guidance. Colleges do not distinguish between candidates at 1590 and 1600, and while I am not familiar with every single scholarship program, I can assure you that USC does not draw a hard line at 1600. The unfortunate structure of the the Presidential Scholar criteria does mean that a 1590 is considered less than a 1600 because the former concords to a 35 ACT. This shows the weakness of concordance as a tool and the inanity of using such small differences in tests that are not designed for the task.

      I am confused of the advice not to pursue National Merit (there is simply no downside). On the other hand, Finalist status comes too late to really play a role in admission (at some schools it can play a role in financial aid).

      Your son’s own performance is proof that even a student capable of scoring higher than a 1600 (in a theoretical sense) can also make mistakes. The SAT would have to be several times as long as it currently is to accurately distinguish a “1590 student” from a “1600 student.”

      Reply
  • Chad says:
    January 29, 2018 at 5:06 am

    Good Evening Art,

    I am currently active duty in the United States Navy and it has been a long time since reapplying myself to school due to deployments and my duties. My SAT score has expired “exceeded three years” Two questions, 1. Will my past SAT score effect the SAT coming up or will the two average out? and 2. Will my past grades in a college although over 5 years ago effect my chances of getting in a higher university? Thank you for your time!

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      January 31, 2018 at 3:38 pm

      Chad,
      You are able to send older SAT scores; it just may require going through some added hoops. Colleges will generally prefer more recent scores, though. Your more current scores will be what matter — no averaging.

      Your college coursework and grades are the bigger question mark, and I would recommend contacting some of the colleges on your list to see if you will be applying as a first-year student or as a transfer student.

      Reply
  • George says:
    January 5, 2018 at 11:50 am

    I would like to transfer out of my university for my sophomore year. I am currently in my second semester of freshman year. How much would my SAT scores and high school GPA matter in that scenario compared to my college grades and current extracurriculars?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      January 11, 2018 at 5:37 pm

      George,
      The standards vary by college, but it would be common for colleges to consider college GPA, HS GPA, and SAT scores as primary factors for transfers after freshman year.

      Reply
  • Saby says:
    December 24, 2017 at 3:08 am

    My son’s new SAT score is 1490 ( Math 800 and EBRW 690). He has won few International conferences (in modern united nations) competitions. He has few other extracurricular activities and social works to his belt. His GPA score is definitely above 4.5 through out career. He also has few summer internships experience during summer months. Not sure what else he needs to do to get into Ivy league or best USA computer engineering (software) programs. Please guide.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      January 2, 2018 at 3:33 pm

      Saby,
      I can only competently provide guidance on testing. Your son would benefit from a higher EBRW, and Subject Test scores might also help his candidacy. There is no one formula for admission to top universities.

      Reply
      • Saby says:
        January 5, 2018 at 2:32 am

        Thanks Art. Your mail is noted. He is preparing for his subject tests now along with his TOFEL. He tried second attempt on SAT and unfortunately his EBRW score remained the same. We only can hope for best keeping in mind other parameters to make his profile stronger for best computer science programs. Thank you once again. Cheers!!!

        Reply
  • Katheryn says:
    December 21, 2017 at 4:47 pm

    Mr. Sawyer,
    What chance, as a homeschooler, do I have of getting into the top ten colleges in the country? According to a U.S news article, most of them accept homeschoolers.
    Thank you,
    Katheryn

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      January 2, 2018 at 12:20 pm

      Katheryn,
      Colleges try to recruit great students from everywhere, and homeschooling has seen strong growth over the last couple decades. I don’t know of a college that wouldn’t accept a homeschooler. That said, colleges tend to depend more heavily on standardized test scores and often have additional requirements — such as Subject Tests — for homeschoolers. Even when tests are not required, they can help make colleges comfortable with a students skills — since class rank doesn’t apply and GPA is undependable or unavailable.

      Reply
  • Art Sawyer says:
    December 10, 2017 at 7:25 pm

    Beksaid,
    The scores shown are for the SAT and ACT. Only a small number of colleges require SAT Subject Tests.

    Reply
  • charan says:
    December 3, 2017 at 9:51 am

    is it necessary to send scores of sat to 4 colleges

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      December 4, 2017 at 6:05 pm

      Charan,
      You may be referring to the four score reports that College Board provides for free with test registration. You do not have to use these included reports. In most cases, we advise skipping them so that you can use Score Choice. Unfortunately, this does mean paying for individual score reports ($12 each).

      Reply
  • Jay says:
    October 22, 2017 at 9:53 pm

    My daughter took ACT test at her junior year and got perfect score of 36. She also finished SAT test last year and got score of 1540. Her PSAT score was also good and was on the national simi-finalist. Her ACT score is better than SAT score. She is trying to apply top 10 school such as Harvard, Stanford, U. Chicargo, U. Penn, Columbia, etc. Some of the school only require either ACT or SAT test report, but some school asked send all the test report whatever you have taken including subject test. We are wondering if she should only send ACT score or need to send both ACT and SAT score? Will be any negtive impact if school received both scores. When Collegeboard send subject test, will they send all test report?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      October 30, 2017 at 6:28 pm

      Jay,
      In your daughter’s case, there would be no negative impact in sending both scores. I know of only 1 or 2 schools that require all scores including STs and only a handful of top schools that would require her to send the SAT score. A student always has the option of choosing Score Choice when sending College Board reports (although, as you point out, some schools instruct students not to use Score Choice). The default is for College Board to send all reports.

      Reply
  • Yili says:
    October 1, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    My son took the new SAT in his ten grade in the August, and got 1570, he took the old SAT in his eight grade, and got 2180.
    He took the SAT math II, got 790.
    He is studying the Calculus AB and AP biology. Do you think he need to retest the SAT, he will retest the SAT math II next month.
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      October 9, 2017 at 1:34 pm

      Yili,
      His 1570 from sophomore year will be accepted by colleges, and I don’t think that his test portfolio would be improved by shooting for a 1580-1600. One thing to consider is that the August SAT may be too early to serve as a confirming score if he qualifies for National Merit Semifinalist in his junior year. Given his outstanding performance on the SAT, I’d say that he has a very good chance. He’ll get his sophomore PSAT scores — assuming that he is taking it — in December, so that will give you added information.

      Reply
  • Muhammad says:
    August 31, 2017 at 10:41 am

    I want to study in USA. Do I have to give only SAT 1 to get admission in university or SAT Subject is required too? Pleasse sir help me. I am a bit nervous about it. I want to be an engineer. I have no SAT Scores yet. My test is next month. I hope to get more than 1200 marks. Are these scores enough? Some people say that besides SAT 1 and SAT Subject I have to participate in TOEFL too. Is it correct?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      September 18, 2017 at 12:24 am

      Muhammed,
      I’m afraid that full answers to your questions are far too complex to deal with here. Most colleges do not require Subject Tests for U.S. students, but a greater number expect them from international students, because colleges are less likely to be familiar with an applicant’s academic training. You’ll need to visit each college’s website to see details for international applicants, as we have not compiled that information. You can use the numbers on this page to understand how competitive your SAT scores are. You’ll want to examine schools where your scores put you into the 25th to 75th percentile of enrolled students. Requirements for TOEFL will also vary. If your schooling has been in English, you may be able to skip the TOEFL. Students studying in a language other than English should plan on taking TOEFL. Again, your best bet is to check with the individual colleges. Good luck.

      Reply
  • Richard says:
    July 5, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    My rising senior son new SAT is 1360 (Math 670, and EBRW 690). his lowest grade is 93 in high school, and his GPA is 3.97-4.12. He has taken 6 APs and will take another 5 AP in senior year. His dream college is Georgia institute of Technology. we are GA residents. Do you think he need improve his SAT further, particularly Math score?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      July 5, 2017 at 3:22 pm

      Richard,
      I’m not equipped to gauge your son’s chances at GaTech overall, but I’ll give you some data points to consider. For the class of 2017 (college class of 2021), GaTech announced that the average SAT score for accepted students was 1458. Acceptance rates for GA residents run twice that of non-residents, but the school does not breakout the characteristics of each group (at least not that I found). GaTech also said that admitted students averaged 10.6 college level courses. It’s interesting how close your son’s 11 APs would be to this average. Your son’s 1360 is toward the low end of scores for enrolled students, which indicates that he’d likely benefit from a higher score.

      Reply
  • Nick says:
    May 17, 2017 at 7:24 am

    Hi Art,
    I am a high school sophomore looking to get into highly selective schools such as UChicago, Northwestern, WashU in St. Louis, etc. Freshman year I got a 1240 on the PSAT, and a 27 on the ACT. This year I got a 1320 and a 32. I’m fairly certain I will be able raise my scores again next year. Do you think where I’m at with my test scores gives me a shot at being accepted? Also do you think it is worthwhile for me to take subject tests, I would probably do math and chemistry.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      May 18, 2017 at 11:18 am

      Nick,
      It sounds like you are on the right path. As you can see from the score ranges, the schools you are looking at have extremely high 25th-75th percentile ranges. You’ll want to get into the 34-36 range to feel comfortable about your score. Keep in mind that an ACT score should be viewed more as a “ticket to play” rather than as something that will get you admitted. It’s difficult, in other words, to be accepted with a low score, but a high score is no guarantee of success — so many other factors are involved.

      Subject Tests are useful if you do very well on them. The good news is that College Board just released 2 new chemistry tests (available in bookstores) and will be releasing new math tests in the fall. This means that you can see how you would do on actual exams. I would not recommend taking them unless you are applying to a Subject Tests Required college and can achieve at least a 700+ (750+ is ideal).

      Reply
  • Peter says:
    April 21, 2017 at 8:24 pm

    Hello,

    I am a 11th Grade international student applying for university in the fall. My dream school is Stanford, to study economics/civil engineering. I got a score of 1550 (M800+English750) on the New SAT last year. Should I take the Subject Tests?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      April 22, 2017 at 10:10 pm

      Peter,
      You need to consider how well you might perform (practice tests are available). As an international student, you face intense competition at one of the most competitive colleges in the country. Subject Tests can help you demonstrate your academic achievements. On the other hand, weak Subject Test scores will not help strengthen your “testing portfolio.” If you can get in the 750-800 range, I would recommend Subject Tests. Stanford, by the way, makes an exception to its “all test scores” requirement for Subject Tests, so you can always keep your scores to yourself.

      Reply
  • Amber says:
    April 16, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    Good evening,
    This may have already been addressed and I overlooked it. I am wondering about how SAT scores are read. If a student takes the test ore than once, do schools look at the highest subject on each to create a compiled score or do they just take the highest total text score?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      April 17, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      Amber,
      Combining the highest section scores to make a new total score is referred to colloquially as “superscoring.” Most colleges now superscore, but there are notable exceptions. We have another post that provides the superscoring policies of the Compass 360.

      Reply
  • Saurabh says:
    April 16, 2017 at 12:44 pm

    My son has a new SAT score of 1560 and he is 99% percentile as per SAT. He has all AP subkects and he has B+ in all. Also he is involved in extensive music program throughout his High school. He is in Marching Band as a section leader and also part of School Jazz Band which he travels around the world and in different states for competition. His goal yp get into UPENN Brown or Johns Hopkins school. What are his chance and what he can do to get scholarships from IVY league schools. Your reply is appreciated.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      April 17, 2017 at 8:51 pm

      Saurabh,
      While I feel qualified to address test scores, I don’t feel qualified to address chances for admission — there are simply too many factors involved. Ivy League schools do not offer academic scholarships. Instead, they base financial aid on financial need. Other competitive colleges do have merit-based aid, so the Ivy League should not be used as a general rule.

      Reply
  • Janet says:
    April 14, 2017 at 6:23 am

    Hi, Art,
    First, thank you for taking time reading my question.
    My junior son’s new SAT score came out yesterday, he scored perfect score in Math ( 800) and 670 in English, that made his New Sat score to 98 percentiles, he will focus on his 4 SAT subjects tests and 2 AP tests in May and June 2017– he likes to be in Biology/ pre med or Medical fields in college and his dream school is Stanford Univ ( duh!)’ he plans to take 5 APs including AP Biology, BC Calculus AP Environmental Bio. He is also in school Math team, outdoor track Varsity team, indoor track Varsity team and the president/ founder of school badminton clubs, National Honor Society member– he competed in State indoor track, outdoor track, Math and History in sophomore and junior year as well. He also taking Bio Medicine in the society college and scored A+ last summer.
    Do you think he needs to take another SAT test or ACT test? He says he doesn’t need to take any ACT but I’m not sure about this, also, could you suggests us if there’s anything he needs to do to let the colleges he plans to imply feel ” impressed”? Thank you so much!!

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      April 17, 2017 at 7:33 pm

      Janet,
      Your son has a great “resume,” and I’d hate to see test scores hold him back. His 670 is weak for colleges at his dream level, so I would recommend retaking the SAT or, at minimum, taking a practice ACT and seeing how he performs. I’m not a college counselor, so I don’t feel qualified to handle the “impressed” part of your question.

      Reply
  • Jacob says:
    April 13, 2017 at 3:45 am

    Hello, I got a 1550 on the new SAT with a perfect 800 math, and a 7/8 on the essay. Would this be considered a strong enough score for admissions to schools like University of Pennsylvania or Harvard? Or should I consider retaking?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      April 17, 2017 at 7:04 pm

      Jacob,
      You should not retake the test. A higher score will not tip a decision. Make sure you have your Subject Test scores in place and focus on your applications (and grades, of course!).

      Reply
  • Jehanara says:
    April 6, 2017 at 10:28 am

    Hello Art-

    My son is a high school junior. He took a SAT prep class the summer before junior year and scored a 1480 on the new SAT in Dec 2016. He re-took the new SAT on March 25th and his school is administering a SAT on April 11th. He aspires to apply to schools that are quite competitive, Rice, Brown, Duke etc. He hopes to get a higher than 1530 score but is using mostly a more practice strategy rather than new study skills. He has taken the subject Bio SAT sophomore year and got a 730. He plans to try the Math Lvl II SAT and Chemistry SAT on May 6th. He is taking AP Calc AB and AP Chemistry as a junior.

    1. Should he try the ACT? He is not fast at reading comprehension.
    2. Subject Chemistry: does studying for the AP Chemistry exam usually cover the subject Chem study material?
    3. Does he need to carve out time to study for the Math LvL II SAT or is the content similar to the math on the new SAT?
    4. At what SAT score point (1500? 1530?) this June should he stop trying the SAT and hold with his score, his unweighted GPA is around a 3.9. Does taking the SAT repeatedly actually improve one’s score?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      April 17, 2017 at 9:58 pm

      Jehanara,
      Sorry for the delay. I hope things went well for your son!
      1. He should take a practice ACT — one released by ACT — under timed conditions. I recommend that students base decisions off of scores rather than off rules of thumb — every student is different. If he ends up scoring in the mid-1500’s, I don’t think there is much of an advantage to taking the ACT.
      2. Yes. In general, the AP Chemistry test expects a deeper knowledge than the Chemistry Subject Test. They are different enough, though, that I encourage your son to take a practice test or two in the Subject Test format (it will only take him 1 hour per test and a little time to review his errors). The Relationship Analysis questions are like nothing on the AP (or on any other Subject Test).
      3. Math 2 is considerably more advanced than the math on the new SAT. Only in the most basic sense is SAT prep directly relevant to Math 2, I’m afraid.
      4. The first part is not one that I can answer for your son. After all, it’s your son — not me — who has to do the work. As you might imagine, the chance of going down increases with higher scores. It’s preparing for the test — not repetition alone — that will raise his score.

      Reply
  • Diotima says:
    March 9, 2017 at 10:37 pm

    Fascinating! Thank you very much. 🙂

    Reply
  • Diotima says:
    March 8, 2017 at 5:42 pm

    Hi, Art,

    Lately I’ve been reading several lively discussions about the accuracy – or not – of the SAT concordance. In particular, as colleges release their ED statistics, the concordance appears to be low by some 10 – 40 points, especially at the 700 and above level.

    For example, here’s Vanderbilt Early Decision Class of 2021: https://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2017/02/class-of-2021-early-decision-summary-statistics/

    Old SAT
    Middle 50% Critical Reading: 710-790
    Middle 50% Math: 750-800

    New SAT
    Middle 50% Evidence Based Reading and Writing: 710-760
    Middle 50% Math: 730-790

    Middle 50% ACT: 33-34

    I’ve seen similar figures in scores from Boston College, Williams, Virginia and U Georgia. Would you care to share anything you might be seeing or hearing on this subject?

    Cheers!

    Dia

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      March 9, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      Dia,
      This is a topic I’ve looked at closely the last couple of weeks as we developed a presentation for college counselors. In addition to the schools you mentioned, I looked at 2020 and 2021 ED data for GaTech, Dartmouth, and Georgetown. I’ve also analyzed PSAT and SAT data for multiple classes and sub-groups.

      My evidence is that it is not a problem with the concordance, per se. In other words, all of the pure testing evidence shows the expected increase in scores (at least within a reasonable range). It’s not a familiar role for me to defend College Board, but it seems that they did a reasonable job. I’ll add the caveat that the place on the scale where it is hardest to verify the success of the concordance is in the 750-800 range that comes into play at many of these colleges.

      We are left with student behavior and college behavior/policies to best explain what we are seeing. I’m not sure that we’ll ever be fully able to explain things without a research study involving colleges and the College Board. I doubt that will happen, because the old SAT is a non-issue going forward.

      Some parts of the explanation are less speculative than others. First, there has been a significant shift to the ACT in the applicant pool. Among the high scoring students at these schools, it represents the biggest shift in history. Similarly, there was a burst of activity of students taking the old SAT pre-March. Few of the colleges provide a distribution of results for both the class of 2020 and 2021 across the different tests. If we assume that there was a bias among high scoring students toward the ACT or toward the old SAT, then we would expect to see lower than expected new SAT scores. This bias would also be more likely with ED/EA students, as they often want to get testing done early, and the new SAT represented a real problem with that plan. There is also a chance that the self-selection bias led to sub-optimal decisions in testing patterns and in preparation. Did the student who would have tried to go from a 700/700 old SAT decide not to retake with a 730/740 new SAT? And even if they wanted to, did they have the time? There is also the possibility that students’ preparation for the new SAT was inadequate. At minimum, they didn’t have Oct-Jan junior year tests to inform their new SAT decisions.

      Score choice and superscoring effects would be interesting to parse out. The latter certainly worked against SAT takers this year. ED/EA applicants were probably fairly evenly split between old SAT and new SAT testing, yet their scores are in separate buckets for superscoring. ACT early testers and ACT late testers had the opportunity to superscore all of their dates. The impact of Score Choice is less clear, but it’s yet another place for sub-optimal decisions. Did students release the “right” scores?

      Also unclear in most cases are the definitions used by colleges. If a student submitted old and new SAT scores, how did colleges report them in their press releases? If they based it on “best scores,” were those best scores determined via concordance?

      The area of behavior that we are all most intrigued by is how colleges thought about the new scores. Did they, in a sense, misuse them? Did admission officers, for instance, retain hard-coded pathways in their brains that treated everything above 750 as interchangeable? Some have speculated that because colleges did not explicitly use the concordance — Georgetown and UVa being obvious examples — that this automatically disadvantaged one group or the other. That’s not necessarily the case. Some colleges choose not to use an SAT/ACT concordance, yet they are able to come to reasonable conclusions through intra-group comparisons.

      I’d like to say that this will all be sorted out with Regular Decision, but I’m certain that it won’t be. It looks like the class of 2018 will represent the first opportunity to see where ACT and new SAT scores really fall out in the new landscape.

      Reply
  • Karl says:
    February 23, 2017 at 9:59 am

    Art,
    My daughter is a Junior at a top rated public HS in MA. She just received her second round of SAT scores. A Super Score puts her at 1490. She took the Biology subject test in 9th grade and received a 700. She’ll have 6 APs by the time she completes her Senior year. Her GPA is a weighted 4.68 out of a possible 4.8 (adjusted North for Honors and AP Selections). She’s interested in Brown as a reach and Bowdoin, Tufts, Amherst as targets and Conn College, Bucknell as safeties. She’s got 7 letters in two sports, a class officer, NHS, Theater etc… Her interests lie in biosciences but she’s a well rounded student who enjoys a broad liberal arts curriculum.
    Three Qs…
    1) Can you handicap the school list above? She loves Brown and we know well the take rate is low but she’ll interview exceptionally well.
    2) Is it worth taking a swing at the SATs again?
    3) Worth trying additional subject tests or a retake of BIO since that was 9th grade?

    Appreciate any insights.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      March 1, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      Karl,
      My knowledge goes deep in college admission testing, but I try to recognize my limits in college admission expertise. I’ll beg out of #1 and try to answer #2 and #3. Raising her SAT score could help her chances at her top schools. She is certainly in range with her 1490, but the overall figured include many “hooked” students (if she is at recruitable level in either of her sports, that would be a big boost). She’ll need 2 Subject Tests at Brown and Tufts. Repeating Bio is largely dependent on how her knowledge has improved or degraded. If she has kept up in Biology, I’d encourage her to consider a repeat (a student who really doesn’t want to do a repeat is a student who shouldn’t do a repeat). I believe that all of the schools you’ve listed recognize Score Choice, so she only has to worry about sending her best efforts.

      Reply
      • Karl says:
        October 24, 2017 at 9:56 am

        Thanks so much for the reply and apologies for the belated response. She finally took the ACTs and achieved a 35 composite score. She achieved a 5 on two APs (APUSH and English L&C) last spring, taking 5 AP courses this year (she’s tracking to her historical norm through 1 term). She’s taking AP BIO so will likely retake that SAT subject test. Recruitable in soccer but interested on in playing club for fun.

        ACT was a dramatically different and easier experience for her FWIW.

        Reply
        • Art Sawyer says:
          October 24, 2017 at 6:45 pm

          That’s great news. Congratulations to your daughter! Some students just click with one test versus the other. That also works out well with AP Bio and the ST. I still have to beg off on handicapping.

          Reply
  • haris says:
    January 23, 2017 at 1:20 am

    sir, if we are getting upto 1000 sat scrore, is it sure that we will get addmission in universities which require less score than it?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      January 30, 2017 at 6:26 pm

      Haris,
      Test scores are just one of many factors that colleges use for admission. Except in limited circumstances, an SAT score alone will not guarantee that you get into a university.

      Reply
  • May says:
    January 9, 2017 at 10:09 am

    Hi I’m a high school junior. I am taking the SAT next Saturday. I scored a 1420 on my psat, but I feel like I didn’t fully prepare for it and I felt like I could have done better. I’ve taken 6 APs, and I plan to take 5 more next year. Do I even stand a chance at an Ivy League?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      January 9, 2017 at 12:40 pm

      May,
      Your PSAT won’t impact your admission chances, so you have plenty of opportunities to put together a great testing portfolio. If you haven’t already made plans, be sure to consider Subject Tests in May or June. Ivy League admission is always a competitive race that is hard to predict. Your grades will be the number 1 factor. Good luck on the SAT!

      Reply
  • Paul says:
    January 8, 2017 at 5:51 am

    Art, my two daughters attended private women’s colleges in Massachusetts, Mt. Holyoke and Wellesley. Neither had degrees that one would associate with off the bus success, (Economics 2013 and and Anthropolgy Dec 2016) Both have high paying jobs and both have been promoted repeatedly. (Anthropolgy, health care company, promoted 4 politions in 10 months, Ecobomics 3 ;positions in 6 months)

    One thing I think people don’t realize is there’s more to college than the name. An undergrads chances of getting into Harvard are almost nil, yet their chances of getting into Harvard Grad school are quite high, if they go to an affilaite college and have leadership experience in their jobs. IMO, people with daughters that don’t look at the 7 sisters are fools. Both of my daughters know the CEO’s of their companies. The level of confidence and leadership a woman gets from these colleges is worth more than what they learn in a classroom.

    When I look at my daughters, I don’t see me. I didn’t raise them. They were raised by the girl scouts, 4h, European exchange programs and finally, women’s colleges that focus on developing female leaders. Life isn’t a hotrserace.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      January 9, 2017 at 12:37 pm

      Paul,
      Thank you for sharing the example of your daughters. It’s easy to get caught up in college admission and forget that life is long, college is short. Success comes from so many places and in so many forms. Of course no one would mistake Mt. Holyoke and Wellesley as anything but excellent colleges. It’s a shame that they are sometimes overlooked.

      Reply
  • Natasha says:
    November 30, 2016 at 7:09 am

    Overlapping a couple of topics here…would a score of 1500 on the new SAT confirm pSAT scores to qualify for National Merit Scholarship finalist? My daughter went into the SAT overly confident after scoring 35 on her SAT, and chose not to put in any prep time for the test. She is now disappointed with her score.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      December 2, 2016 at 1:23 pm

      Natasha,
      A 1500 is well above the level needed to qualify as a Finalist. You can calculate an SAT Selection Index (SSI) the same way the Selection Index is calculated from PSAT/NMSQT scores. I personally find the easiest way as doubling the EBRW score, adding the Math score, and dropping a zero. The confirming level for the SSI has been set at 209 for the class of 2017. I can’t calculate your daughter’s exact SSI only knowing the 1500 total score, but I can calculate the very LOWEST that it could be. If I assume a 700 EBRW and 800 Math, her SSI would be (700×2) + 800 = 2200; drop a zero = 220. While her ACT score is stronger, her SAT score will not hold her back in qualifying as a Finalist.

      Reply
  • Maryann says:
    November 29, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    Hi Art,

    My son earned a 34 on ACT (English 36, Reading 36, Science 33, Math 31), and he just received his scores for the new SAT of 1480 and a 7 out of 8 on the SAT Writing. He is very upset over the SAT score being lower than he feels he needs for a competitive school, and so we are wondering if it would be a good idea to not have the SAT scores sent to colleges? He has already sent his ACT score, and although I feel his SAT score is respectable, I feel that advice from your would be very helpful. He is the Editor in Chief of the Yearbook, Treasurer of National Honor Society, Vice-President of Key Club, Marching Band, etc.. He has taken 8 AP classes with scores of all 4’s and 5’s. He had two surgeries in 9th grade, which affected his grades then, and so he only has an overall GPA of 3.53 as a Senior. I feel appreciative of any advice you may offer, as I honestly do not know whether his SAT scores will hurt his chances of applying for Ivy schools. Have a great day:

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      December 2, 2016 at 1:32 pm

      Maryann,
      Your son’s SAT score is respectable; it just so happens that his ACT score is better. Because SAT and ACT scores fill the same niche for admission officers, there is no benefit in submitting both in your son’s case. His ACT score wins. There are some colleges (hello, Yale!) that expect students to send all scores. Even those colleges are generally looking at the more “supportive” scores.

      Reply
  • Heidi says:
    November 2, 2016 at 7:40 am

    Art,

    My junior son received his new SAT score and he made a 1540. This was the first time that he took the SAT (except for 7th grade through DUKE TIP) . He got 800 on the Reading and Writing section and 740 on the Math section. He also took the essay and he got 8, 7, 7.
    Do you think that rather than retake the SAT it would be enough if he takes the SAT II Math subject test to show colleges that he is a good Math student? He wants to apply to highly selective colleges. He also has 2 subject tests, Biology 760 and World History 800. He wants to study medicine or veterinary medicine.
    Thank You!

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      November 21, 2016 at 12:15 pm

      Heidi,
      It looks like I may have neglected to get back to you on this — my apologies. I think that his testing portfolio will be in excellent shape if he can post a good Math 2 score. There is little benefit in trying to move up from a 1540. Although some of the most selective colleges superscore, it is a lower percentage than even highly competitive schools.

      Reply
  • Hieu Nguyen says:
    October 28, 2016 at 4:51 pm

    Sir,
    I did the new SAT and received a good EBRW. However the Reading and Writing differ by 7 on the 40 scale. Considering that colleges have given the old Critical Reading more weight than they do for Writing, should I retake the SAT to improve my Reading section?
    Thankyou.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      November 2, 2016 at 2:50 am

      Hieu,
      That sort of discrepancy is fairy large (140 points if we considered them 200-800 scores), but it is not unexpected in an international student. Grammar rules tend to be easier to master than the close reading skills required on EBR. Colleges gave more weight to the old Critical Reading SAT because of tradition (it pre-dated Writing) and because there was skepticism about the Writing test (much of it swirling around the essay). Most colleges will look at EBRW as the equivalent of an old Verbal Score. I don’t think many will try to parse out the differences between the sections. The obvious question is, “Will you improve your Reading score?” If you feel that you underperformed, then you should re-test. If Reading was in line with the official practice tests, then you should consider whether or not you have the time and resources required to raise your score.

      Reply
  • Max Wang says:
    October 28, 2016 at 5:13 am

    It looks that the author simply added up the other two columns to get the column “SAT Total 25th – 75th percentile”. But that’s extremely misleading. Students in the 75th percentile for Math may not be also in the 75th percentile for EBRW. So the actual total scores for the 75th percentile are lower, probably quite lower while the actual total scores for the 25th are higher than what are shown here.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      October 28, 2016 at 4:33 pm

      Max,
      I appreciate your feedback. As the co-author, I can confirm that we have added EBRW and Math to obtain the Total score. This is explained in the Data Methodology footnote:
      “This does not necessarily produce the same result as if a school reported the 25th percentile Total score and 75th percentile Total score. However, colleges do not report 400-1600 or 600-2400 score in the Common Data Set, and it has been the practice of most publishers to simply sum the component scores.”

      We had to decide whether it was better to leave off the Total score or to present it in this way. Since we knew many students and parents think of a “1410” or a “1250,” we decided to include it. A few colleges have historically presented inter-quartile combined scores. In these cases, the differences from the sum-of-the-scores method proved to be minor. It’s important that all such scores be viewed skeptically. Most colleges and guidebooks provide only scores for enrolled students, for example. The average scores of enrolling students, though, are lower than that of accepted students.

      Reply
  • solomon says:
    October 17, 2016 at 1:21 am

    solomon
    i have taken the new sat and scored 1420.also i have subject tests 760 math and 700 chemisry.i am looking for a merit based scholarship could i get ful ride at any universty in us? reccomend me if there is any college or universty.i am an international student.

    Reply
  • Grateful Dad says:
    October 4, 2016 at 6:40 am

    Art,
    I have been following your posts throughout the Compass website with much interest. Without exception, you show incredible insight, wisdom and patience. You will most likely need all three for this question.
    My child has done quite well. He took the Old SAT once and the new SAT once. If you superscore the Old SAT (CR dropping the writing) then he would have a 1600. While I know schools aren’t superscoring in this manner, I have nevertheless been looking at the 75th percentile listings that are in your chart with some interest. You show a handful of schools that show the 75th percentile at 1600 or even 1590.
    If you look at the size of the admitted incoming freshmen class for even one of these schools, it does not seem possible that the top 25% could all have scored a perfect 1600 since presumably there will be less than that number of perfect 1600s in the entire country, much less having the odds of all of those perfect scores attending a single school resulting in a 75th percentile listing of 1600. Am I missing something? How can the 75th percentile be 1600 for one school, much less 4 or 5 schools? Mathematically (I am admittedly not math oriented), it seems that the 75th percentiles would have to be at least in the 1570 to 1590 range even for the most elite schools. In short, are these somewhat inflated?

    Thanks again for your insight….and patience,

    Grateful Dad

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      October 4, 2016 at 4:20 pm

      Grateful,
      Good questions. In your child’s case, I would recommend using the concordance tables to take his new scores back into the old. The reason I say that is that all of the “true” college numbers are reported as old SAT scores. You can then compare those scores to the 25th – 75th scores reported by the colleges (you can find these in a number of places such as US New or the College Board’s college selection tool. As you point out, you do not want to superscore these, because the colleges won’t. They may evaluate all of the scores holistically, so it is still good to know, for example, that one of the Math SAT scores is better than the other.

      There are several assumptions underlying our table of new score ranges. First, there is the assumption that the concordance tables are accurate! I think they are pretty good. The important assumption is that the admitted classes for 2017 will be similar to earlier classes. If this is true, then the individual Math and EBRW scores should be accurate. The total 400-1600 score is a bit trickier. There were two main options. The more correct way would be to concord all of the values into the total score. The other option is to simply add the two scores. We decided that 1) just about all guidebooks used the sum 2) it’s less confusing for students and parents (“Why don’t these add up?”) and 3) the differences are not large. You are correct, though, that there would be a slight overstatement, because the students that get 790 on EBRW are not the same students who get 790 on M. You are best off comparing the individual scores.

      You bring up a fascinating question. About 2,000 students got a 1600 on the CR+M on the old SAT. I think that’s the best starting point. The “easier” new SAT means that we might see closer to 3,000 students. Those students end up at lost of schools, but my guess is that they are highly concentrated among 6-10 schools. The schools we estimate to have a 75th percentile of 1600 would probably “consume” about 1500-2000 of those. That may not be that far off. Ultimately it’s academic as 1570, 1580, etc. are essentially equivalent from an admission officer’s perspective.

      Reply
  • Barbara Losseau says:
    August 26, 2016 at 8:21 am

    I have taken the new SAT twice already and got the same score of 1260 both times. The only exception is that instead of doing 630 and 630, the second time I did 640, 620 on each part. My goal is to go to NYU or USC. Should I take the SAT a third time or do I still have a chance to get in with those scores ?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      August 29, 2016 at 7:03 am

      USC and NYU are both so competitive that a 1260 is usually not sufficient. Even students with scores near the 25th percentile of admitted students at those schools (around 1350) have a decreased chance of admission.

      Reply
  • Rog says:
    August 16, 2016 at 3:52 pm

    What chance, if any, will a 1480 (New SAT) or a superscore of 1490 get as far as merit scholarships?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      August 17, 2016 at 10:52 am

      Rog,
      The landscape of merit scholarships is as wide as the college landscape — there are hundreds or thousands of variations. Many merit scholarships have GPA and SAT (or ACT) score minimums. In some cases those numbers qualify a student for scholarship dollars. In other cases, the minimums allow a student to enter a competition for scholarships. I’ll word it this way — there are precious few merit scholarships where your score would take you out of the running.

      Reply
  • Lemar Graham III says:
    July 27, 2016 at 3:58 am

    Hello I recently retook the New SAT in June after getting a 1340 on the March SAT and ended up with a 1420. Since the next Date, Oct 1st, would be cutting it too close when receiving my scores back for college admissions, where do I currently stand when competing for more competitive schools such as Ivies or slightly lesser competitive ones like Rice or Emory.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      August 1, 2016 at 5:01 pm

      Lemar,
      It is important to keep in mind that test scores are only one component — and not the most important one — in the admission process. You can use the 25th-75th percentile estimates to give yourself a rough idea of where your scores stack up. In general, scores closer to the 75th percentile than the 25th percentile would at least mean that scores should not be a drag on the average student’s application. The trick in holistic admission is that one can’t always define “average.” Certain talents may impress admission officers. Certain characteristics may work against you at one school but not another.

      Reply
      • Concerned Student says:
        January 13, 2018 at 4:54 pm

        Hi Art,

        I just wanted to let you know that your percentiles for Columbia are either wrong or outdated. Their 75th percentile SAT total is 1580 according to their Class of 2021 profile which can be found online. It’s unlikely it was higher in previous years. The listed 25th percentile is also correct. Because of that I have trouble believing lots of the information here. Please make it clear what your sources from or when you estimated for a college.

        Reply
        • Art Sawyer says:
          January 15, 2018 at 6:47 pm

          Concerned,
          All of the figures are estimates based on prior actuals, and this is discussed in the Data Sources box at the bottom of the post. There is a good reason for this: reliable, comparable data is not yet available for all colleges. Let’s use Columbia as an example. The profile to which you refer is for Admits. Some colleges provide similar data, while others only provide the data for Enrollees. We believe that the data for the first-year class (enrollees) is more indicative of a college’s profile. Columbia has not yet made this information available. Some colleges — such as Columbia — only provide the total score in this sort of admits profile. In Columbia’s case, it clearly distinguishes between old SAT and new SAT. Other colleges choose to use concordant scores to put all scores on the same scale. In the fall, most colleges prepare extensive enrollment data for the government’s IPEDS survey and for the Common Data Set, which is organized by publishers such as Peterson’s, U.S. News, and College Board. CDS is the most representative data because colleges are expected to use the same definitions in answering the same questions. Colleges don’t have to make CDS information publicly available, but most start putting it on their websites around this time. [I don’t yet see Columbia’s.] Full CDS available will not be available until August 2018!

          We are beginning the process of hunting down this year’s data to replace our estimates with the actual values. In the meantime, sources that claim to be based on actual data are almost certainly mixing a variety of different definitions. I prefer to avoid that as much as possible. I agree with you that Columbia’s final figures (based on what has been released) are likely to be lower than our estimates, although the difference is not substantial. We will, of course, update the figures as soon as we are comfortable with the new sources.

          Reply
  • Ibu says:
    July 25, 2016 at 2:04 pm

    is it possible with a 1340 on the new Sat to be considered for a presidential scholarship at a mid-tier university. Ive never been interested in IVy leagues along with alot of AP test taken and passed. Also 4+ GPA weighted. and 3.96 unweighted

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      July 28, 2016 at 5:49 pm

      Ibu,
      I’m afraid that there are too many variables to give you a good answer. I am assuming that you are referring to “Presidential” or “Trustee” Or “Honors” scholarships awarded by many universities as opposed to the U.S. Presidential Scholars program, which is incredibly competitive (only 161 awards per year). Most colleges maintain a website with information about the minimum qualifications for awards. Some programs are automatic for qualifiers, and others involve an application and competition. Your GPA sounds strong. Your SAT score may be a bit weaker for merit scholarships, but the range of programs is enormous. Best of luck.

      Reply
  • Soumit Roy says:
    June 29, 2016 at 8:38 am

    How is a new SAT score of 1360 considered ? Is it competitive enough to be considered in an Ivy league school assuming that my rest of the application is strong enough ?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      June 29, 2016 at 2:43 pm

      Your score would be low for the most competitive schools such as the Ivies. While those colleges take a “holistic” review and do not have cutoff scores, most of their applicants will have 1400+ scores on the new SAT.

      Reply
  • Nora says:
    June 18, 2016 at 4:50 am

    My daughter will be a senior in high school next year. She took the new SAT and got a 660 for Math and a 650 in Reading. Her father is insisting she take the test again to try for a higher score. I am saying she can wait until we get her ACT scores from the test she took last weekend, and that her scores aren’t bad since the SAT board is saying they are 92nd %tile. She is at a state residential high school that only takes the top 1% of students, has lots of unique experiences like a year long study of artificial intelligence that resulted in a published paper, and has been active in clubs. She is looking at specific colleges – Creighton, Kalamazoo, St. Lawrence, Bradley, St.John/St. Benedict, and Knox. We need a person not invested in her success in life to give a non biased opinion. Her end goal is to become a pediatrician.

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      June 18, 2016 at 2:25 pm

      Nora,
      Now is a good time of year to assess where your daughter stands and what you should do moving forward, because you can make decisions without the rush of spring test dates. Your daughter should get her ACT scores (at least the multiple-choice portion) next week. The next upcoming testing opportunities are September (ACT) and October (SAT). Among the options would be 1) Sit tight. No reason for additional testing. 2) Retake the SAT. 3) Retake the ACT. 4) Retake both. Let’s discard #4 right away. As a rising senior, she should be concentrating on her best opportunity. You can compare her SAT and ACT scores using the new concordance tables.

      One question to consider is “What is the goal of higher scores?” For some students, it is about trying to do well enough to make a “reach” school. For other students it is about improving their chances at their target list of colleges. It sounds like your daughter fits in the latter group. She has identified an excellent set of colleges, and her SAT score is already well-aligned with those colleges.

      College Board has made a mess of the transition to the new test by confusing parents and students with faulty percentiles. There are “National” percentiles and “User” percentiles, for example. Although “User” is closer to what we would consider the standard definition, even there they have had to base the numbers off of a sample study. If we convert your daughter’s 1310 into a score on the old SAT (CR+M), it would be a 1250. That score was the 85th percentile for the class of 2015. The good news is that you don’t have to worry much about how students did across the country. You should be most concerned about how your daughter did relative to students applying to her selected colleges. While few universities make available applicant scores, we do know that her scores would likely put her above the mean of the freshman class of 2021 at her target schools. That said, her scores alone are not so high that they will differentiate her from other applicants.

      What would happen if your daughter retook the test and her scores went down? I did a quick check of the mentioned colleges, and they almost all superscore the SAT. In all cases they recognize Score Choice. So a lower score would not hurt your daughter and a mixed score (up in EBRW and down in M) would benefit her.

      Retaking the SAT is not that hard. It involves a test fee and a miserable 4 hours on a Saturday morning in the fall. Truly preparing for the retake is the rub. Repeating an exam without some form of additional preparation will usually result in similar scores. In order for her to raise her scores, she’ll need to study for the test. She’ll build on what she did right and what she did wrong. She’ll need to put it all together on test day. In short, she has to be willing to work for a higher score. So I’ve left to the end the most important question to consider. Is she interested in that? A thoughtful program of self-study or commercial preparation need not (should not!) conflict with her college applications and other pursuits. But she will need to feel invested.

      I can’t claim a “non-biased opinion” because I do test preparation and test advising for a living. I do know what added joy there is in working with a student who understands the goal of her efforts and can also appreciate that there is an end in sight.

      Reply
  • Tarun Garg says:
    June 15, 2016 at 5:21 am

    Sir
    i would be extremely thankful if you replied me. i have a couple of queries that you may help me with. Kindly reply asap. Thanks in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • Tarun Garg says:
      June 17, 2016 at 11:18 am

      Sir
      i am student who is looking to pursue a undergraduate program in economics. Kindly suggest whether i should pursue Bsc or Ba in economics. Also, if you could suggest me a list of top 5 colleges in the us for an economics degree, that would be great. See, i am an international applicant so i intend to obtain a good amount of financial aid.
      Also, for these colleges what is the appropriate NEW SAT score range ?
      I know my questions are bit off the topic and require a long answer but i would be beholden to you for such help.
      Thanking you in advance.

      Reply
      • Art Sawyer says:
        June 18, 2016 at 2:36 pm

        Tarun,
        College counseling is not my area of expertise, but US News and USA Today have lists of what they consider the top undergraduate economics programs. These also happen to be some of the most competitive colleges in the country. You can lookup the new SAT score ranges of these schools using the Compass 360 page right here. Many other colleges in the U.S. have excellent economics programs. The College Board has a search tool that allows you to lookup colleges by major.

        Reply
  • Jeff says:
    June 10, 2016 at 11:22 am

    Art,

    Thank you for this information. Where, though, did you hear that colleges won’t report new scores until 2018 and guidebooks until a little later?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      June 10, 2016 at 4:16 pm

      Jeff,
      Few colleges publish class profiles until students are on campus, so some numbers will start showing up in the fall of 2017. However, wide-scale, uniform reporting is done through surveys such as the Common Data Set (College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News) and IPEDS (Dept. of Education). The CDS is based on enrolled students and is collected over the course of the academic year. In other words, colleges will begin putting the numbers together in late 2017 and finish by spring 2018. The major guidebooks join this information with their own data collection efforts and will publish in Aug/Sept of 2018.

      If you look at a currently available version of U.S. News, for example, you’ll see that the data comes from the 2014-2015 CDS. This information is based on the HS class of 2014 (technically on the incoming college freshman class of 2018). Most of those students took the SAT in 2013! The admission and reporting cycles create a dark period when a major shift takes place. We saw this happen when the SAT I became SAT Reasoning and Writing was added. At the time, the change was not as visible because the CR and M sections were considered equated to the older test. It will be interesting to see how colleges, CDS, and publishers handle the fact that many in the class of 2017 will be applying with old SAT scores.

      Reply
  • Michael says:
    May 27, 2016 at 11:10 am

    Art,

    Thank you very much for your suggestions! My son is interested in studying Econ with a minor in Computer Science or Math. Since he is stronger in STEM than English, do you see any advantage of applying “undeclared”?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      May 29, 2016 at 6:47 pm

      Michael,
      I try not to venture to far afield from my expertise in testing. That said, it’s likely that your son will put together a more convincing application if he is forthright about his goals. His strong STEM scores seem completely compatible with Econ/CS/Math.

      Reply
  • Michael says:
    May 24, 2016 at 7:48 am

    My son has taken the most rigorous courses offered by his school and has done very well. He scored (old SAT) 650 CR, 800 Math and 780 writing. We talked to a few colleges about their policies on old SAT vs. new SAT. Surprisingly we heard from an Ivy League admissions staff that they will not consider the writing on old SAT. They will simply compare scores on old SAT reading/math vs. the new SAT. Have you heard how colleges will treat old SAT vs. the new one? Thanks!l

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      May 24, 2016 at 11:39 am

      Michael, I answered your question in a separate post, but I am going to duplicate my response here for completeness:
      The response you got is indicative of the lack of respect that the Writing test always received on the old SAT — and the misunderstandings surrounding it. The old SAT and new SAT are treated as totally different tests, which is why a concordance is needed in the same way that one is needed between the SAT and ACT. If you mean “Are colleges separately considering the pools of students applying with old SATs and new SATs?,” the answer is “No.”

      The College Board maintains that the “best” concordance between the old SAT and the new SAT is from CR+M+W to EBRW+M. The admission office is both right and wrong. Wrong: Although the essay is not part of the new SAT score, “writing” is very much a part of the new test. Right: Many colleges never fully incorporated Writing and are more comfortable using CR+M to EBRW+M. To allow for this, College Board does provide this concordance. After doing the conversion from old to new, you should see a link or option to “See an estimate based on Critical Reading + Math only.” In your son’s case, the CR+M estimate converts to a 1490 on the new SAT. We’ve also provided a table with the CR+M concordance. Unfortunately, there is no universal rule as to how colleges will convert among old SAT, new SAT, and ACT, which is why College Board has provided them a number of options.

      Reply
      • Michael says:
        May 25, 2016 at 8:57 am

        Thank you very much for your timely response and insights! In your opinion, should my son take ACT or the new SAT since his CR is relatively low. Do colleges emphasize more on the total score or individual section score? His reach/match schools are Cornell, Dartmouth, Tuft’s, Emory, USC, Wash U, and Cargenie Mellon. He has taken most challenging courses (e.g. Multivariable calculus, differential equations, computer science etc..) offered by his school and maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA. He has presented biology research paper at a national conference and will be interning at scripps research institute. In addition, he is a competitive swimmer since he was 7. He really would like to focus on essays and SAT subject tests now. Your suggestions will be much appreciated!

        Reply
        • Art Sawyer says:
          May 25, 2016 at 10:00 pm

          Michael,
          I’d put a good amount of weight in how your son did on the PSAT to help make the ACT / new SAT decision. Since it sounds like your son is quite comfortable with STEM, I imagine the science of ACT Science is not going to scare him off. But its demand for relentless reading pace can disadvantage some students. I’d recommend that he take a released ACT and mimic test day conditions (exact timing, no disallowed breaks, etc.). Your son’s situation is very similar to John’s daughter’s (I just posted a reply). Three-quarters of the new SAT, it could be argued, is made up of areas that play to your son’s strengths — Math and Writing/Language.

          Colleges love to hide behind the word “holistic” when answering questions such as yours. Section scores and total scores both come into play. A student applying to STEM programs, for example, is going to want to be 650CR/800M rather than the other way around. For colleges that emphasize the CR+M portions of the old SAT, your son’s 780W may not receive the weight it deserves. Cornell is a good example of a school that never cared much for SAT Writing. I don’t like seeing students doing more testing than they need to do, but I also know how important it is to feel that one’s testing portfolio is as at least as strong as the other components of an application. With that last part in mind, I think it could be worthwhile to test again. I would try to decide soon between the new SAT and ACT and then plan for Sept or Oct testing.

          Reply
  • Dan williamson says:
    May 12, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    Thanks Art.

    Reply
  • Dan Williamson says:
    May 12, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    Art, my junior son recieved his new SAT score and he made a 1540. He has mid 700’s in math1,math2,chemistry a 730 and plans on taking lit. SATII which he will get high 700’s if not 800. He took the old SAT two years ago and got a 2230. He has 8AP classes under his belt all 5’s and 4’s except two 3’s. He will finish next year,his senior year with AP statistics and probably a 5 or 4, so nine qualified AP’s in all. Considering that except for his junior and senior year, which he is attending Stanford online high school and will finish this year with straight A’s, do you think since he was homeschooled all the years prior to that he should take the ACT also,just to give the colleges more to go on?

    Reply
    • Art Sawyer says:
      May 12, 2016 at 7:00 pm

      Dan,
      I have not heard any college prefer homeschoolers take both the SAT and ACT, and it would not be useful in your son’s case. It is certainly true that homeschoolers face added testing requirements — usually in the form of Subject Tests. With Math, Chemistry, and Literature (soon) in hand, he is in good shape there, as well. One of the reasons why colleges accept the SAT and ACT interchangeably is that they provide similar insights.

      Reply

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