Students applying to Uiversity of North Carolina System schools will not have to submit SAT or ACT scores for another two years. The UNC Board of Governors decided Thursday to extend its waiver through fall of 2024.
The problem at the start of the pandemic was that testing was routinely canceled or postponed. The problem now is the disruption the pandemic had in the classroom over the past two years.
“There is a real danger that
some of our students have not been exposed to some of the material on the standardized test,” the UNC System’s chief academic officer, Kimberly Van Noort, told a committee Wednesday.
She also pointed out that two-thirds of colleges and universities have adopted test-optional admission policies at least through 2023.
Temple Sloan, the chair of that committee, said it’s a bridge too far to do away with standardized tests, but another waiver makes sense.
“What we’re trying to do
is do what’s right for the universities for the next two years, keep them competitive with their peer groups, and be fair to the high school students who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic,” Sloan said.
The full board approved the measure with no discussion and only one no vote. That came from Thom Goolsby, who spoke in Wednesday’s committee meeting. He said the concern seems to be that the pandemic has kept students from meeting UNC’s minimum academic requirements.
“Which
then makes me question whether or not they’ve received enough curricula to be able to come to college and succeed in college,” Goolsby said.
The Board of Governors initially voted in 2020 for a one-year waiver of standardized tests. It then extended it in 2021 through fall of 2022, with several board members voting against it.
Raymond Palma, the student representative on the board, said students have appreciated those waivers.
“GPA is an extremely strong indicator of success,"
Palma said. "In college, when you’re in the classroom, you’re not taking standardized tests. You're taking courses the same way you are in high school, and that’s exactly what GPA measures.”
More than half of state college systems now have test-optional or test-blind admissions policies at least through 2023 and many others will decide soon, said Bob Schaeffer, head of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.
Many schools, most of them private like Wake Forest, were
test-optional even before the pandemic due to concerns that students who could afford prep coaching had an advantage.
"The successful experience of those test-optional provided a model for others to be comfortable that they could eliminate test score requirements, not undermine academic quality, they could still make fair and accurate admission decisions, and, as a bonus, they saw the diversity increase in their applicant pool and the students on their campuses,” Shaeffer said.
Several
state systems, like those in California, Maine and Colorado, have gone permanently test-optional or test-blind. The thought of doing the same at the UNC System has come up before. Sloan, who chairs the committee that would advance such a recommendation, said it’s not worth having that discussion any time soon.
Test scores may still be required for scholarships, honors college and other special programs within the UNC System.
As of March 2022, we found that 63.5% of the top 200 schools have announced test optional, test flexible, or test suggested
policies for the next application round. Though test submission at many of these schools is strongly encouraged or likely to correlate with higher admissions rates, it is not a requirement of application. 5.5% of colleges have announced test required policies. Notable test required schools include Georgetown, UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, and Florida State University. 8.5% of top 200 universities, including all colleges in the University of California system, are currently test blind, so they
will not accept SAT or ACT scores, though some may consider AP scores or other exams such as the TOEFL. Finally, 22.5% of colleges have not announced their testing policies yet.
As schools start to suggest that more students submit test scores, and fewer students have issues accessing the test, we are beginning to enter a phase where we see a difference in admit rates based on whether people submit test scores or not. While in the previous year, many students did not have access to tests,
test availability has increased greatly. If you don’t explain why you don’t have a test score, and you’re not from a context where a test score doesn’t make sense, a lack of a test score might start to hurt you. Many schools now discriminate against students without test scores.
Obviously, schools can change their test policies whenever they want. But, 38.5% of the top 200 schools have already announced they will continue their test optional, test blind,
or test flexible policies through at least 2024. If you have a phobia of tests, you can still find a school that is test optional or test blind in the top 200 list. However, over half of schools have not announced their policies for the Class of 2024. So if you’re in that class, we still recommend that you prepare. Having a test score is also proving to correlate with much higher acceptance rates at many top 200 universities.
Even though we’ve given the stats, please be careful about the
fine print. Some colleges may still require test scores if your GPA is below a certain level. Many schools also still use test scores to determine merit scholarships and placement in an honors college.
| College | SAT/ACT Required for freshman entering Fall 2023? | SAT/ACT Required for freshman entering Fall 2024? | Test Optional, Test Blind, or Test Flexible? | Notes |
|---|
| Princeton University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Harvard University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Extending Test Optional policy through Fall 2026
|
| Columbia University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Extending Test Optional policy through Fall 2024
|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| Yes
| Yes
| 2023 Policy has CHANGED to required (previously was stated as not required), Test Required in 2024
| *Test Required in 2024
|
| Yale University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional*
| *Applicants who have successfully completed one or more ACT or SAT exams should consider including scores, even if those scores are below the middle 50% ranges listed below.
|
| Stanford University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Chicago
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2018
|
| University of Pennsylvania
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| California Institute of Technology
| No
|
| Test Blind
| Caltech is in their last year of a moratorium on the requirement and consideration of SAT and ACT scores.
|
| Johns Hopkins University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Extending Test Optional policy through 2026
|
| Northwestern University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Duke University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Dartmouth College
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Brown University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Vanderbilt University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Extending Test Optional policy through Fall 2024
|
| Rice University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Washington University in St. Louis
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional policy extended through Fall 2024
|
| Cornell University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional policy extended through Fall 2024
|
| University of Notre Dame
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of California, Los Angeles
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The UCs are Test Blind through 2024
|
| Emory University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of California, Berkeley
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The UCs are Test Blind through 2024
|
| Georgetown University
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
| Students who cannot access a testing center will be sent a form to expalin why they did not submit test scores.
|
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Flexible*
| "Students who do not wish to have SAT or ACT scores considered as part of their application review can still submit other optional forms of testing (such as AP exam scores or IB exam scores)"
|
| University of Southern California
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Carnegie Mellon University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Virginia
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| No
| No
| Policy changed April 7, 2022; previously announced as test required
|
|
| Wake Forest University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2008
|
| New York University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Tufts University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of California, Santa Barbara
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The UCs are Test Blind through 2024
|
| University of Florida
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| University of Rochester
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2019
|
| Boston College
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Georgia Institute of Technology
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| University of California, Irvine
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The UCs are Test Blind through 2024
|
| University of California, San Diego
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The UCs are Test Blind through 2024
|
| University of California, Davis
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The UCs are Test Blind through 2024
|
| William & Mary
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| 2023 is the third year in a 3 year test optional pilot program
|
| Tulane University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Boston University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Brandeis University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2013
|
| Case Western Reserve University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through 2024
|
| University of Texas at Austin
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Wisconsin–Madison
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through Spring 2025
|
| University of Georgia
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Lehigh University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Northeastern University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Pepperdine University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Miami
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Ohio State University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Purdue University
| Yes, unless test is cancelled due to pandemic
| Yes, unless test is cancelled due to pandemic
| Test Flexible*
| *If you can take the SAT or the ACT, Purdue prefers you do so.
|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Santa Clara University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Villanova University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Florida State University
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| Syracuse University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Maryland, College Park
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Pittsburgh
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Washington
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanent since 2021 *"However, high test scores (1400 SAT/31 ACT or above) may be considered for a handful of students who may not otherwise be admitted. "
|
| Pennsylvania State University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Rutgers University–New Brunswick
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through 2024
|
| University of Connecticut
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Fordham University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| George Washington University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2015
|
| Loyola Marymount University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Southern Methodist University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through spring 2024
|
| Texas A&M University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Massachusetts Amherst
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The Institute's Test Blind policy is an eight-year pilot program, beginning in 2020.
|
| Clemson University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Virginia Tech
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through Fall 2025
|
| American University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2010
|
| Baylor University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| Will review policy after 2023
|
| Indiana University Bloomington
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| "For future terms, some students may be required to provide SAT or ACT scores."
|
| Yeshiva University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| Brigham Young University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Gonzaga University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Howard University
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| Michigan State University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| North Carolina State University
| No
| No
| Policy changed in April 2022 (previously required)
|
|
| Stevens Institute of Technology
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Texas Christian University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Denver
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2019
|
| State University of New York at Binghamton
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| SUNY is Test Optional through summer 2024
|
| Colorado School of Mines
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Elon University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Marquette University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2020
|
| State University of New York at Stony Brook
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| SUNY is Test Optional through summer 2024
|
| State University of New York at Buffalo
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| SUNY is Test Optional through summer 2024
|
| University of California, Riverside
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| The UCs are Test Blind through 2024
|
| University of Iowa
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of San Diego
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Blind
|
|
| Auburn University
| No, unless GPA is less than 3.6
| Not Announced
| Test Flexible*
| *Applicants with less than a 3.6 GPA are ineligible to apply as Test Optional.
|
| University of Arizona
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of California, Merced
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| Test Optional through 2024
|
| University of California, Santa Cruz
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| Test Optional through 2024
|
| University of Delaware
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2015
|
| University of Utah
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Arizona State University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Clark University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2011
|
| Miami University, Oxford
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through Spring 2024
|
| Saint Louis University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Temple University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of Colorado Boulder
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of Oregon
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of San Francisco
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of South Florida
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| Creighton University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Loyola University Chicago
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| Rochester Institute of Technology
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of Illinois at Chicago
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Tennessee
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
| University of Tennessee System will now require tests
|
| Iowa State University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| New Jersey Institute of Technology
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
| *Does not apply to Honors College or accelerated program students
|
| Rutgers University-Newark
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently test optional
|
| State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| SUNY is Test Optional through summer 2024
|
| University of South Carolina
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Vermont
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Chapman University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Clarkson University
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| DePaul University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Drake University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| If you choose not to submit test scores, you will be required to either submit an essay or schedule an interview.
|
| Gallaudet University
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| Illinois Institute of Technology
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| Seattle University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of Kansas
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Missouri
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| *If you choose to go Test Optional, you will need to submit 3 short essays
|
| Drexel University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| The New School
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Seton Hall University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through 2026
|
| Simmons University
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| University of Dayton
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of Kentucky
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through 2024
|
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional*
| *All first-year applicants under the age of 23 are encouraged to submit an official ACT or SAT score.
|
| University of Oklahoma
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through 2025
|
| University of St. Thomas - Minnesota
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of the Pacific
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| The Catholic University of America
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| Permanently Test Blind.
|
| Duquesne University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| George Mason University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Samford University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| San Diego State University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Blind
|
|
| University of Alabama
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Cincinnati
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through 2024
|
| University of New Hampshire
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| University of Texas at Dallas
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Tulsa
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Colorado State University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Michigan Technological University
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| Oregon State University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| Quinnipiac University
| No*
| No*
| Test Optional*
| *Permanently Test Optional. However, for certain dual degree programs and the School of Nursing, test scores are recommended or even required.
|
| Rutgers University–Camden
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional through 2024
|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Belmont University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Hofstra University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| Mercer University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| State University of New York at Albany
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
| SUNY is Test Optional through summer 2024
|
| University of Arkansas
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional/Flexible
| Test optional for students with a GPA of 3.2 or higher. All admitted students are encouraged to provide test scores.
|
| University of Central Florida
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of Mississippi
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional*
| *"Although we are not requiring a standardized test score for admission for the 2022-2023 academic year, ACT/SAT scores are still very important for scholarships, some aid programs, and for academic placement."
|
| Valparaiso University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
|
|
| Virginia Commonwealth University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Adelphi University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
| test optional through Spring 2023
|
| Kansas State University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional.
|
| St. John's University Queens Campus
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional only for first-time freshman applicants. International students must submit test scores
|
| University of Hawaii at Manoa
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| University of Idaho
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
| *Students with a GPA of 2.6 or higher don't need to submit a test score.
|
| University of Rhode Island
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| City College of New York
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Blind in 2022
| The City University of New York system is Test Blind through the Spring 2023 admission cycle.
|
| Missouri University of Science and Technology
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| Montclair State University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2015
|
| Ohio University
| No
| No
| Test Optional*
| Permanently Test Optional for applicants to Athens campus
|
| St. John Fisher College
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| Thomas Jefferson University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| University of Houston
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| University of Louisville
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| University of Massachusetts Lowell
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| University of St. Joseph
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| Washington State University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| Biola University
| Not Announced
| Not Announced
| Test Optional in 2022
|
|
| Chatham University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional
|
| Florida International University
| Yes
| Yes
| Test Required
|
|
| Oklahoma State University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional. Students are still encouraged to submit scores.
|
| Pacific University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Test Optional policy is extended indefinitely
|
| Rowan University
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional. However, certain groups of students are still required to submit test scores
|
| University of Detroit Mercy
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of New Mexico
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
| University of North Carolina Wilmington
| No
| No
| Policy changed April 2022
|
|
| Bethel University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional*
| *Test Optional for students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
|
| California State University, Fresno
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Blind
|
|
| Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional since 2021
|
| Loyola University New Orleans
| No
| No
| Test Blind
| Permanently Test Blind
|
| Maryville University of St. Louis
| No
| No
| Test Optional
| Permanently Test Optional, except for a select few groups
|
| Robert Morris University
| No
| Not Announced
| Test Optional
|
|
All of Yale's Ivy League peers have suspended test requirements for the next round of applications. Harvard University and Cornell University have extended this policy through students enrolling in the fall of 2026 and the fall of 2024, respectively.
There are no minimum test scores required to be admitted to Stanford, and there is no score that guarantees admission. At Stanford, we review applications holistically, meaning every component of the application is valuable to us as we get to know each student.
Harvard admissions officers extended test optional admissions for four years: Fall 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
