Updated: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
It’s important for students and families to stay informed about college admissions requirements since they can change from year to year, especially when it comes to test-optional admissions trends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, many colleges and universities across the U.S. implemented test-optional or test-blind admissions. While many schools have since reinstated testing requirements, thousands of schools remain test optional or test blind — some have even made it permanent. Learn more about test-blind and test-optional policies and how they may impact your admissions strategy.
Test-blind and test-optional admissions policies are not a relatively new admissions trend, but the number of schools with these policies grew exponentially during the pandemic. While the trend is starting to shift back toward requiring test scores, many colleges across the U.S. remain test optional. Some, like the University of California system, are test blind. So, what’s the difference between the two?
By minimizing the role of standardized tests, which have long been criticized for favoring students from higher-income backgrounds, test-blind and test-optional colleges are working to create a more level playing field.
Test-optional and test-blind admissions policies have deep roots in the history of college admissions reform. Institutions like Bard College, Bates College, and Dickinson College began moving away from standardized testing requirements decades ago, driven by concerns over equity in education and the limitations of test scores in capturing a student’s full potential.
Over time, more colleges began to question the fairness and predictive value of standardized tests, especially as research highlighted that lack of access to test preparation resources is a barrier for many college-bound students. These concerns laid the groundwork for broader adoption of test-optional policies, which gained significant momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. With widespread disruptions to testing availability, many colleges temporarily suspended test requirements. This caused them to assess how much weight should be given to test scores during the college admissions process.
According to FairTest, over 2,000 institutions remain test optional, while approximately 75 are test blind. This number is likely to decline over the next few years as more colleges and universities return to requiring test scores. For these institutions, standardized tests provide a common benchmark to compare applicants from different schools with varying grading standards. Test scores are also a strong indicator of college readiness, since students are tested on the foundational knowledge required at the college level.
The impact of test-optional policies in the wake of COVID was dramatic, with a wide range of institutions reporting a noticeable increase in application volume. By removing the requirement to submit standardized test scores, colleges have opened their doors to a broader pool of applicants, including those who may have previously felt discouraged by low scores or limited access to test prep resources.
However, their success in promoting diversity in higher education is not guaranteed. Institutional priorities, financial pressures, and admissions philosophies all influence the extent to which these policies achieve their intended goals.
Recent research on testing policies shows mixed results regarding the impact of these policies on student diversity. Test-optional policies have been associated with modest increases in the enrollment of underrepresented students. However, the effectiveness of these policies often depends on institutional priorities and how strongly the admission committee values academic merit. Colleges that continue to emphasize academic performance may see limited gains in diversity, even after removing testing requirements.
Another study concludes that test-optional policies may inadvertently disadvantage high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds. Students are less likely to submit their scores for test-optional admission, even when doing so could improve their chances of admission.
Test-optional admissions can offer some benefits for students, like reducing test anxiety and encouraging them to apply to schools that would otherwise seem out of reach. However, it’s not without its downsides. For example, students who excel in testing may feel undervalued. At test-blind universities, they may even be put at a disadvantage because they don’t have strong test scores to help set them apart academically from other applicants with similar academic credentials.
Let’s look at some pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons | |
| Student Experience | Empowers students to decide whether scores reflect their academic potential. | May cause confusion about whether submitting scores will help or hurt their application. |
| Equity and Access | Promotes a more level playing field for students from underserved backgrounds. Reduces reliance on costly test prep resources. |
Colleges may lean more heavily on other metrics (e.g., GPA, extracurriculars), which can also reflect systemic inequities. |
| Admissions Process | Encourages holistic review of applicants, focusing on broader achievements. Increases application volume and diversity. |
Harder to compare applicants from different schools with varying grading standards. Adds complexity to evaluating college readiness. |
| Impact on High Scorers | Students can choose to highlight strong scores if they believe it strengthens their application (test-optional only). | In test-blind systems, high scores are not considered at all, which may disadvantage students who perform well on standardized tests. |
Though many colleges continue admitting students without standardized test scores, we always encourage submitting them at test-optional schools if they strengthen your application.
As previously mentioned, thousands of colleges and universities across the U.S. still offer test-optional or test-blind admissions. Understanding which institutions follow these testing policies and why can help students refine their college selection criteria.
Test-blind (also known as test-free) colleges do not consider standardized test scores at all, even if submitted. This approach is rooted in the belief that other components of a student’s application, such as GPA, course rigor, essays, and extracurriculars, offer a more accurate and equitable measure of potential.
Notable examples include:
Many prestigious institutions have embraced test-optional policies. While some have been test-optional for many years, others adopted these policies when testing access was disrupted due to the COVID-19 impact. For example:
The pandemic prompted institutions to reevaluate the role of standardized tests in the admissions process, and many have found that continuing their test-optional policies aligns with their broader goals of making education more accessible and enrolling a more diverse student body.
Students may also see “test-preferred” policies at some colleges, such as Rice University and Auburn University. This means that test scores are strongly encouraged but not required for admission.
Without standardized test scores as a central metric, students must learn how to stand out in their applications in other ways. It’s important to remember that regardless of testing policies, colleges want to enroll well-rounded classes of students with different specialties and interests. Therefore, it’s critical to identify your interests early on and focus on becoming a specialist in those areas through your coursework and extracurricular activities.
Students applying to test optional schools should begin by researching each institution’s policy carefully, then looking at enrolled student data — particularly the test score submit rates and test scores. If your test scores fall within or above the middle 50% range of enrolled students, submitting them can strengthen your application. Otherwise, it may be better to omit them and focus on other aspects of the application. You can typically find enrolled student data in each school’s Common Data Set.
To stand out in test-optional admissions, implement these key strategies:
At test-blind institutions, other components of the application carry more weight. To stand out:
The sustainability of test-optional and test-blind policies depends on evolving institutional priorities, broader societal shifts, emerging trends, and changes to the tests themselves. Some of the most selective institutions in the U.S. have reinstated standardized testing because they view testing as a crucial metric for assessing academic readiness. Others continue to extend their test-optional policies or have made them permanent because they believe the other factors of a student’s application accurately demonstrate their potential.
Standardized testing itself is undergoing reform. The SAT vs ACT comparison has become even more relevant as both exams have switched to digital formats and revised their content to better reflect classroom learning. The SAT is even adaptive, adjusting the difficulty of the questions to the student’s performance. These changes may influence how colleges perceive and use test scores.
For example, due to recent changes to the ACT, the science section is now optional. However, Boston University still requires it for students who choose to submit ACT scores. At most test-optional schools, the science section truly is optional.
The future of higher education in the U.S. will see a continuation of the holistic review process. This includes greater emphasis on:
Students will always have to demonstrate in their application that they are prepared for the rigors of college academics, but who they are as people both inside and outside of the classroom also matters.
Test-optional and test-blind policies seem here to stay, but it’s still in your best interest to take standardized tests, especially with more schools reinstating standardized testing requirements with each admissions cycle. Think of it this way: If you apply to several colleges, each will have a different testing policy. A strong test score will benefit you whether the school is test optional or requires scores.
Here at IvyWise, we offer test prep tutoring that’s unique to each student’s learning style. We help you identify which test is the best fit for you and then work one-on-one with you to maximize your score. Our tutoring combines seamlessly with our college admissions counseling programs to ensure students have the best chance of gaining admission to their best-fit schools.
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