July Update of the 2020-2021 Test Optional Admissions
Many colleges have begun conversations about transitioning their admissions teams to evaluate students without the benefit of SAT/ACT scores. Here are some insights on which colleges will become test-optional during their admission process.
Universities are aware that high school students will have difficulty taking the standardized tests before the application deadlines this year. Dozens of colleges have dropped the SAT/ACT requirements for the 2020-2021 school year. You might be asking yourself:
Which colleges are dropping the standardized testing?
Will colleges return to requiring standardized test scores in the future?
If I have SAT or ACT scores, then should they still be submitted?
We here at Link will assist you with your questions.
Colleges that aren't requiring SAT/ACT Scores for the 2020-2021 school year
Below is a chart of all the colleges and universities that are NOT requiring SAT/ACT scores for applicants for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. Some inclusions are the University of California system, Cornell College, and Williams College. The list includes colleges that are test-optional and are dropping the SAT/ACT requirement. However, June brought even more college on the test optional wave, including Harvard.
School Name Location
Adelphi College Garden City, NY
Alabama A &M Huntsville, AL
Alabama State University Montgomery, AL
Albion College Albion, MI
Alma College Alma, MI
Amherst College Amherst, MA
Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN
Auburn University Montgomery, AL
Bethany College Bethany, WV
Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND
Bluefield State University Bluefield, WV
Boston University Boston, MA
Brigham Young University Provo, UT
Case Western University Cleveland, OH
Central College Pella, IA
Cleveland State College Cleveland, TN
Concordia University Texas Austin, TX
Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Cottey College Nevada, MO
Davidson College Davidson, NC
Drury University Springfield, MO
Fairmont State University Fairmont, WV
Franklin College Franklin, IN
Haverford College Haverford, PA
Indiana University Kokomo Kokomo, IN
Indiana University Northwest Gary, IN
Indiana University Southeast New Albany, IN
Indiana Wesleyan University Marion, IN
Iowa Wesleyan University Mt. Pleasant, IA
Jackson State University Jackson, MS
Kent State University Kent, OH
Kutztown University Kutztown, PA
Lamar University Beaumont, TX
Limestone College Gaffney, SC
Lock Haven University Lock Haven, PA
Longwood University Farmville, VA
Malone University Canton, OH
Mansfield University Mansfield, PA
Marymount Manhattan College New York City, NY
Midway University Midway, KY
Millersville University Millersville, PA
Millikin University Decatur, IL
Minnesota State University Moorhead, MN
Mississippi State College Clinton, MS
Newberry College Newberry, SC
Northeastern University Boston, MA
Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
Ohio University Athens, OH
Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
Pomona College Claremont, CA
Portland State University Portland, OR
Rhodes College Memphis, TN
Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ
Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA
Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR
St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY
St. Thomas University Miami Gardens, FL
Savannah College of Arts and Design Savannah, GA
Scripps College Claremont, CA
Southwest Baptist University Bolivar, MO
Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
Thiel College Greenville, PA
Trinity University San Antonio, TX
Tufts University Medford, MA
Tulane University New Orleans, LA
University of Akron Akron, OH
University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AL
University of California, Berkley Berkley, CA
University of California, Davis Davis, CA
University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
University of California, Merced Merced, CA
University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA
University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA
University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
University of Dayton Dayton, OH
University of Mount Union Alliance, OH
University of Nevada- Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
University of Nevada- Reno Reno, NV
University of North Dakota- Grand Forks Grand Forks, ND
University of Oregon Eugene, OR
University of Pittsburgh- Bradford Bradford, PA
University of Pittsburgh- Greensburg Greensburg, PA
University of Pittsburgh- Johnstown Johnstown, PA
University of Pittsburgh- Titusville Titusville, PA
University of Virginia- Wise Wise, PA
University of Washington Seattle, WA
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Washington State University Vancouver Vancouver, WA
Wayne State University Detroit, MI
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
Westminster College Salt Lake City, UT
West Virginia State University Institute, WV
Williams College Williamstown, MA
Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
College Registration, Admissions and Deadlines
Do you have a student that wants to attend a UC School this Fall? We will recommend crucial tips that will help you submit your documents and get accepted. Read this article to learn more. With the pandemic, you might be asking yourself, will there be deadlines that students need to follow to get accepted? The answer is YES- click here, to read more. Time is of the essence, so make sure you dot your I's and cross your T's.
As of today, more than half of the United-States' four-year colleges and universities have made the SAT or ACT exam optional for the upcoming admissions season, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.
Will schools return to having standardized test scores required?
Some colleges will accept standardized test scores; some won't. The University of California college system has stated the lack of required SAT/ACT scores will be assessed over the next 5 years. You can listen to our CEO talk more about this in the explanation of the Current Market of College Admissions. Some colleges such as Trinity and Tuft University are using it is a trial period, and will keep the optional policy for three years before deciding whether to implement it permanently or not. Other colleges, such as the University of Oregon and Scripps College, have decided to become permanently test-optional. However, some schools aren't committed to whether or not they'll continue the test-optional policy after the pandemic ends.
We do know that more and more schools are becoming test-optional. Schools are making an effort to attract more diverse applicants, and they do not want students to be held back by circumstances that are out of their control. Research has shown that students from more affluent backgrounds have higher SAT and ACT Scores. Colleges are dropping the standardized testing requirement, so students from more disadvantaged backgrounds aren't put at a further disadvantage during the admissions process. Over 1,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. are test-optional and test flexible. This number will likely grow over time.
If you have your SAT or ACT scores, should you still submit them?
We may recommend students who are reasonably able to take the SAT or ACT go ahead with it depending on your circumstances and ambitions. Even if you're applying to a test-optional school, and do not need to submit the scores, we may recommend submitting the scores if a student is homeschooled, looking for scholarships, or applying to an Honors Program.
Out of the 1,050 schools who claim to be test-optional, fewer than 1 percent are “test-blind", meaning that they do not use SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions. You need to know what test-optional means. When a college goes test-optional, it means the SAT or ACT scores aren't required, but they will still review and consider the scores as part of your application. However, this doesn't mean that the SAT and ACT scores are no longer accepted. Schools that are "test blind" will not look at standardized test scores at all. Test blind is a rare policy, and currently only, Hampshire College follows it. What does that mean for you? Even for test-optional schools, strong SAT or ACT scores will still help your college applications. You will lose out on a chance to make your application stronger if you don't submit your test scores. So, what do you do? Follow these guidelines:
Submit test scores if:
You have strong test scores (at or around the 75th percentiles of admitted students to the specific school)
You don't have strong test scores (AP Tests, SAT Subject Tests, etc.) to send.
The college still recommends submitting scores if you can.
Don't submit scores if:
You have low test scores (Percentile below 50th).
You're confident if areas of your college application (GPA, class rank, extracurriculars, etc.) make up for lacked test scores.
You have outstanding test scores from other exams (AP Tests, SAT Subject Tests, etc.) that will be submitted.
If students can take the SAT or ACT Test, then they should submit scores if you think they will help you. They're a crucial part of admissions decisions, even if they are test-optional schools. Don't submit test scores if its a weak area of your application. Colleges won't hold it against you for not taking the standardized tests, however, you always want to strengthen your college application.
