Is Test "Optional" Truly Optional

Over 2000 schools remain test-optional, but some are beginning to reverse the policy. For the first time in decades, college admissions were more based on essays, grades, and activities–and less on numbers. However, in 2025, the numbers are starting to come back as a huge part of college admissions. This year, several top universities, including Harvard and Yale, have announced that they will be bringing back SAT or ACT scores.

Ever since the pandemic, thousands of schools across the US have adopted the test-optional or even the test blind policy, where the test scores are not even considered, even if submitted. This decision was made out of necessity during the COVID pandemic, when students couldn’t take the tests. For some schools, this change was made permanently. According to a report from the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, 90% of four-year colleges adopted a test-optional or test-free policy to reduce barriers for underrepresented students. This widespread shift reflects how SAT and ACT scores may act as a barrier to separate students based on economic levels, and are more reflective of a family's income and access to resources rather than academic ability.

However, top universities say something different. Harvard, for instance, stated that standardized tests like the SAT and ACT show the predictive potential of the student in the coming years. However, the SAT and ACT, being a test that solely represents a student by a number, make it pretty hard to predict a student's “potential”. Additionally, the standardized test is not an area that a student is just simply talented at. Therefore, to perform well in that testing, private tutoring and study resources are a necessity. As a result, as a handful of colleges say that standardized tests are more reflective of a family’s economic level and access to resources.

These two contrasting views of colleges are putting the students in a tough spot.

“Just a few months ago, I thought that I didn’t have to worry about the SAT,” said Alex, an incoming junior. “But now I’m hearing that if I don’t submit a score, I’ll be at a disadvantage.”

This has been a growing concern among many students. Many colleges state that they are test-optional, but in reality, submitting a test score puts a student at an advantage over students who do not. In other words, test-optional does not mean test-irrelevant.

As a result, college counselors are telling students to be flexible and informed. If one is planning to apply to a competitive college, one should plan on taking the SAT or the ACT. Then, after that, one can choose whether or not to submit that score. At the same time, the University of California system remains test blind.

The debate around standardized testing is far from being over. For now, the best option is to keep your options open and prepare for the SAT or the ACT if you can, and to talk to your counselor about test-optional schools. Because in 2025, “optional” does not seem to mean the same thing as it used to.