Why You Need to Check a College’s Testing Policy Before Applying

Standardized tests used to be the norm regardless of which school you wanted to apply to, but there are a number of schools that are currently test optional (you don’t have to include your scores on your application, but if you do, they will be taken into consideration) or test blind (the school will not consider your scores even if you include them).

Some notable test optional universities for the 2022-23 cycle include Yale University, Harvard University, Cornell University, and basically all Ivy League schools. What are some of the reasons for this?

The ongoing pandemic – Most schools cite the difficulties in taking standardized tests as their reason for remaining test optional.
Racial factors – The average SAT score for white students in the class of 2019 was 1114, but those numbers decreased to 978 for Hispanic students and 933 for black students. Discrimination in the system causes many colleges to wait and see if the testing system can be adjusted to level the playing field and make it a more accurate factor.

The important thing to keep in mind is that schools are evaluating whether they will require test scores, keep it optional, or be test blind on a year-to-year basis. Therefore, you need to stay up to date, and taking the SAT and ACT if at all possible is a good idea for high school students.