What Exactly is a ‘Test-Optional’ Policy and Is It Here to Stay?

Test-optional institutions do not require submission of standardized testing scores but will still accept and review SAT and ACT scores when evaluating your application, should you choose to submit them. With the news that some schools may be sticking with test-optional, at least for a little while longer, it’s important to address just how optional test scores are to colleges with these policies.

It’s unclear how many colleges will choose to adopt a test-optional policy permanently. Many schools, like Harvard University, have committed to staying test-optional for the next few years to ensure no one impacted by the pandemic will be denied access to their admissions process. Some schools, like The University of California school system, have even committed to remain test-blind for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, some schools have already reinstated their testing requirements for the current cycle or have committed to doing so from next year, like MIT, which views standardized tests as an opportunity for students to demonstrate their academic preparedness where socioeconomic disadvantages may otherwise prohibit them from doing so.

Should I Still Submit My Scores to a College with a Test-Optional Policy?

Far fewer candidates submitted test scores in 2020-2021 than in the 2019-2020 application cycle. While a test-blind policy may work in your favor if you do not have the strongest test results, it is always best to err on the side of caution and submit scores when you can. While choosing to withhold standardized testing results might not hinder your application, it could mean the difference of admission between you and another strong candidate who did opt to submit results.

It is also important to consider that test scores are one of the most significant metrics used in calculating college rankings and colleges that adopt test-optional policies may favor candidates who submit scores for their own ranking purposes. After all, many ranking systems (including the one developed by US News & World Report) will only factor in a college’s test scores if a certain percentage of their applicants submit them.

Many colleges and universities have reported record-breaking applicant numbers with record-low acceptance rates this year, so to make your application competitive, you should strongly consider submitting test scores. Remember, many schools will superscore your SAT and ACT results to ensure you have the best chance of admission.

Curious about the test-optional acceptance rates of your best-fit list? Keep reading to learn more about which percentage of accepted applicants at those schools submitted their SAT/ACT scores during the 2020-2021 admissions cycle (Class of 2025).

College	Score Submit Rates by Admitted and Matriculated Students*	Total Percentage of Admitted Students Submitting Scores	Total Percentage of Applicants Submitting Scores
Amherst College	35% submitted SAT; 31% submitted ACT	63%	Data not released
Barnard College	30% submitted SAT; 21% submitted ACT	50% of admitted and matriculated students submitted test scores	Data not released
Bowdoin College	55% submitted SAT; 33% submitted ACT	56% of admitted and matriculated students submitted test scores	Data not released
Brown University	51% submitted SAT; 30% submitted ACT	Data not released	Data not released
Columbia University	Institution did not release this data for this cycle	Data not released	Data not released
Cornell University	40.8% submitted SAT; 19.7% submitted ACT	Data not released	Data not released
Dartmouth College	Institution did not release this data for this cycle	Data not released	Data not released
Duke University	Common Data Set not yet published	Data not released	56%
Emory University	37% submitted SAT; 27% submitted ACT	69%	Data not released
Georgetown University	Common Data Set not yet published	Just under 90%	80%
Georgia Tech	53% submitted SAT; 36% submitted ACT	79%	Data not released
Harvard University	Common Data Set not yet published	Data not released	Data not released
Middlebury College	31% submitted SAT; 23% submitted ACT	53% of admitted and matriculated students submitted test scores	Over 50%
MIT	Common Data Set not yet published	Data not released	Data not released
Northwestern University	Common Data Set not yet published	Data not released	Data not released
Pomona College	37% submitted SAT; 29% submitted ACT	57%	Data not released
Princeton University	56% submitted SAT; 35% submitted ACT	Data not released	Data not released
Rice University	Common Data Set not yet published	80% during the Regular Decision cycle (Early Decision cycle data not released)	Data not released
Stanford University	12.6% submitted SAT; 8.7% submitted ACT	Data not released	Data not released
Tulane University	15% submitted SAT; 41% submitted ACT	Approximately 60%	Data not released
Tufts University	31% submitted SAT; 23% submitted ACT	Just under 60%	Roughly 50%
University of Georgia	Common Data Set not yet published	Under 60%	Roughly 50%
University of Michigan	54% submitted SAT; 32% submitted ACT	Data not released	Data not released
University of Notre Dame	48% submitted SAT; 52% submitted ACT	66%	Data not released
University of Pennsylvania	Common Data Set not yet published	74% during the Regular Decision cycle and 76% during the Early Decision cycle	Regular Decision data not released; 62% during the Early Decision cycle
University of Southern California	Common Data Set not yet published	47% of admitted and matriculated students submitted test scores	Data not released
University of Virginia	51% submitted SAT; 21% submitted ACT	Data not released	57%
Vanderbilt University	25% submitted SAT; 32% submitted ACT	61.1%	56.3%
Washington University in St. Louis	Common Data Set not yet published	63% of admitted and matriculated students submitted test scores	59%
Wellesley College	37% submitted SAT; 23% submitted ACT	Approximately 50%	Approximately 40%
Wesleyan University	51% submitted SAT; 27% submitted ACT	59%	Data not released
Williams College	43% submitted SAT; 28% submitted ACT	Data not released	Data not released
Yale University	54% submitted SAT; 35% submitted ACT	Data not released	Data not released

*Data includes any students who submitted both the SAT and ACT.

Keep checking back for updates as more colleges release their most recent Common Data Sets!

Not sure whether you should apply test-optional or not? IvyWise can help! Our team of expert college admissions counselors can give a thorough evaluation of your applicant profile and create a strategic plan of action based on your grades, test scores, activities, interests, and more. Contact us today for more information and to set up an Initial Consultation.