In recent months, many selective universities in the US have been grabbing headlines as they roll out their standardized testing policies for the 2024-25 application cycle. The trend is clear so far - there is no standard to their policies and students are confused.
Before we look at each policy, here is a little historical context.
The SAT and ACT are academic exams traditionally used in admission to undergraduate programs in the US. In the holistic admissions process used by selective universities, test scores, along with an evaluation of the courses and grades, told the story of an applicant's academic strengths. For decades the majority of US universities required a score, and preparing for these tests was part US high schooler's academic routine. International students with an eye on applying to the US also made finding and taking one of these exams part of their internationalized college preparation.
In 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, testing centers worldwide were forced to close. As a result, the vast majority of US universities shifted their policies to admitting applicants without an SAT or ACT score. Over the past four years, the world (and its test centers) reopened in fits and starts, and unevenly across regions. To accommodate the lack of opportunities to test, the majority of US universities implemented a test optional policy. If a student was able to test, and decided to include their scores, the admissions office would consider them as one factor among many. A smaller number of universities, mostly in California, stopped using the SAT and ACT in admissions all together, while others, such as the public universities in Florida, never suspended the test requirement even during the worst of the pandemic.
During this period of admissions without scores, universities measured the academic success of their students admitted without test scores. They wondered if those students would be able to achieve at the same levels as students admitted with testing. The results of these studies are beginning to be made public, and are guiding the shifts to policies we see today.
What is the testing landscape in 2024? The following is look at policies for the upcoming application cycle at some universities popular among international applicants. The list is not exhaustive. Always check the university website for their official testing policy. Also, Fairtest.org maintains a list of test optional and test free universities in the US.
The following are a few universities that require an SAT or ACT score as part of the application
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Georgetown University
University of Texas, Austin
Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech)
University of Georgia
The 12 public universities of Florida, including Florida State University and University of Florida accept the SAT, ACT and the CLT
Introduced a Test Flexible Policy that will require and SAT or ACT in most cases.
Brown
Dartmouth
Yale
This policy is essentially a return to requiring testing, with some workarounds. For example, Yale will accept a AP or IB testing in lieu of an SAT or ACT score. Dartmouth makes exceptions "For applicants from schools outside the U.S., results of either the SAT, ACT or three Advanced Placement (AP) examinations OR predicted or final exam results from the International Baccalaureate (IB), British A-Levels, or an equivalent standardized national exam are required. This distinction between students attending a school in the U.S. or outside the U.S. acknowledges the disparate access to American standardized testing—as well as the lack of familiarity with such testing—in different parts of the world." While Brown will require all first-year applicants to submit a standardized test score as part of their application, with the exception of those who are “unable to take the test” when “the International Baccalaureate or a national exam may be substituted.”
A criticism of this "flexible" policy is that for many international students, Brazil case in point, where AP and IB curriculum are offered, an SAT or ACT is also available. However, in the regions without international curriculum options the standardized tests are also rarities.
However, a counter argument is that a strong SAT or ACT score can reinforce an applicant's academic strengths to an admissions reader, especially if they are applying from a high school unfamiliar to the admissions office. In fact, Dartmouth explains in their policy announcement, "(Testing) ... is also an important tool as we meet applicants from under-resourced or less familiar high schools across the increasingly wide geography of our applicant pool." Dartmouth also explains that they review standardized test scores in the context. "Contextualized testing is an essential element of our individualized, holistic review. Of course, Dartmouth will never reduce any student to their test scores. It is simply one data point among many, but a helpful one when it is present."
Some highly selective universities will maintain their Test Optional policies in 2024, including:
Cornell will remain test optional for 2024
Vanderbilt will be test optional for the next three cycles
Columbia will remain test optional for the foreseeable future
Harvard will remain test optional through 2026
In fact, the majority of US universities (more than 1900 according to FairTest) are remaining test optional for 2024. Applicants to universities that have this policy have the option to include scores in their application, but are not required to send them. An applicant with a strong score relative to the rest of the applicant pool will benefit by including them as part of their application. Stress and consternation often arises in this scenario as it is up to the applicant to wade through often opaque admissions data and trends to decide if they should send their scores or not.
To remove this one stressful choice (among many), the University of Chicago offers the No Harm testing policy - a variation on test optional. The policy states, "Submitting an SAT or ACT is optional and not required for admission. In addition to being test-optional, UChicago practices a “No Harm” policy for application review when considering SAT or ACT scores. Any SAT or ACT score submitted will only be used in review if it will positively affect an applicant’s chance of admission. Test scores that may negatively impact an admission decision will not be considered in review."
Test Blind, or Test Free
University of California system (9 public universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA)
California State University System (23 universities, including Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Diego State)
California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech)
None of the public universities in California consider testing as part of admission. Many students in the US's most populous state in fact do not take an SAT or ACT in high school, unless they intend to apply to private and/or out-of-state universities.
As of April 1, over 100 universities in the US have yet to announce their testing policies for the coming admission cycle, including the public university system in North Carolina.
The big takeaway is that in 2024, there are no clear trends on standardized testing. How does that leave potential applicants? As an educational consultant for students and families, I recommend the following to any student interested in studying in the US:
Engage with the diagnostic materials offered by the testing companies. Try out a practice test or two. If by the mid 11th grade (year 2 of ensino médio) you feel comfortable with the testing materials and level of English, then make a plan to prepare and test. Students in an international curriculum such as AP or IB may be prepared to test well during 11th grade.
Identify what is important to you. Create a list of criteria that you want as part of your university experience. Having a strong test score, or determining that testing will not be a part of your application, is important to know early.
Research a wide variety of programs, understanding their testing policies and selectivity. Identify a list of programs that match your criteria.
If you would have questions about testing, like "what's a good score?", "which test should I take?", "should I send this score?", "should I test again?", and "should I test at all?" Explorers can help. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation to get started.
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