As of January 2025, the landscape of standardized testing requirements in college admissions has changed. During the height of COVID-19, many schools released new policies to offer flexibility to students who may have experienced disruptions in taking the SAT or ACT exams. Since then, colleges have undergone another shift, with many reverting to their old testing requirements.
In this blog, we'll dissect which colleges are test-optional in 2025 and how recent changes will impact college applicants.
In 2020, testing sites had to change all their practices to accommodate new social distancing regulations and try to find proctors at schools where staff were no longer working in the buildings. Many staff, students, and parents felt uncomfortable being in closed rooms with others for fear of falling ill. This resulted in the closure of test sites, with colleges under pressure to adopt test-optional policies.
Test-optional colleges allow students to choose whether to include their standardized test scores as part of their college application. As a result, admissions officers were instructed to evaluate only application components that were submitted, ensuring that students were not at a disadvantage if they decided to omit their scores.
What about the students who submitted scores? If scores were submitted, admissions officers did use them as part of their evaluation process.
Historically, many colleges and universities have long understood the biases of these tests and many were already revamping their testing requirements (more on that long history here). Families were surprised to learn that a handful of institutions were already test-optional for years before the effects of COVID-19. Today, some colleges remain test-optional and others have returned to their standard operating procedure. Before we go through the list of colleges still test-optional in 2025, let's understand the difference between each testing policy.
| Standardized Testing Policy | |||
| Test-Optional | Test-Blind | Test-Flexible | Test-Required |
| Students have the choice if they want to submit their test scores or not. | Test scores are not considered as part of the evaluation process, even if a student submits them. | A test score is required, but it does not have to be the SAT or ACT. This can include an AP, IB or other standardized test score. | Test scores are required for admissions evaluation and/or merit scholarships. |
Related: Test Optional (And What the Heck it All Means)
Please note that this list is constantly changing. Be sure to review admissions requirements on a college's official website to understand the most up-to-date information or head to Fairtest.org for the extensive list.
Several colleges reinstated standardized test requirements. The most notable institutions being the highly selective colleges or Ivy League institutions. Below is a list of highly selectives that require standardized tests:
This is a tricky question (and more on this discussion and crossroads here). The gist is that you should look at how your score compares to the national average, the college’s average, and against your own grades.
Whether a student should or shouldn't submit their test scores will ultimately boil down to the college they apply. For some colleges, a specific test result may strengthen their application, while at others it could severely impact their eligibility. It's important to evaluate the best course of action on a case-by-case basis.
The cycle immediately following colleges' test policy announcements saw significant changes and ramifications. Since then, the dust has started to slowly settle, but there are effects that have permanently changed the college admissions process.
Students were (and are) applying to more schools than ever before. Not only were there more applicants, but students were submitting 2 or 3x the number of applications per cycle. These students, who historically would've opted out of applying to colleges with lower test scores, were now in a unique position. This was particularly true for highly selective colleges who showed record-low acceptance rates in recent years.
Today, we've seen applications slow down. Especially considering many highly selective colleges returned to their old test requirements. However, with the majority of colleges having adjusted their policies indefinitely, we're still facing unprecedented competitiveness in the college admissions process.
Colleges seem to be staying true to their word that test-optional means test-optional. Students without test scores are still being accepted to many colleges, including highly selective ones.
Most colleges, especially highly selective ones, were already using holistic review. However, waving test scores is a continuation of that policy and encourages admissions officers to look beyond academics to evaluate students. Admissions committees now prioritize reviewing the whole application to factor in the lack of this data point. Application components such as essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurriculars play a bigger role in the admissions process than ever before.
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