As the pandemic fades farther in the rear view, an increasing number of colleges and universities are reinstating testing requirements for admission. In 2025, testing requirements returned to elite private universities and large public universities alike: Penn, Auburn, Ohio State, Princeton, Miami, and Carnegie Mellon announced the reinstatement of SAT and ACT testing requirements. Students applying to seven of the eight Ivy league schools (except for Columbia) or to the Florida, Georgia, or Tennessee public universities need a test score. Aspiring engineers seeking admissions to Cal Tech, MIT, or Stanford need a test score. With every additional college or university that mandates testing, the number of students submitting test scores will increase.
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The Common App released its annual report on first-year application trends revealing that the number of applicants submitting test scores has increased 11% from the previous year, while the number of non-submitters has decreased by 1%. As of November 1, 125,404 more students reported test scores on their Common Apps than did not. While some subgroups continue to apply without test scores at higher rates—including first-generation applicants, those identifying as underrepresented minorities, and those eligible for a Common App fee waiver—the score-reporting cohort is growing faster than non-reporters across every single subgroup.
For non-first-generation students, test score submission is markedly increasing. Over the last 4 years, the number of students in this cohort who submitted test scores by November 1 increased 32% from 312,095 to 411,269 students. This report echoes findings from the end-of-year report from the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, in which the number of Common Apps submitted without test scores declined from the previous year, while the number of applications with test scores increased 12%.
Given these trendlines, it seems inevitable that submitting applications with test scores will return to the majority position. Every additional college that reinstates a test-score requirement will contribute to this growing trend.
The Truth About College Admission Webinar
Hear Rick Clark (Georgia Tech) and Paul Kanarek (National College Admission and Testing Expert) unpack the realities of today’s admissions landscape in this on-demand webinar. From standardized testing to the factors that truly move the needle, you’ll get clear guidance and answers to top parent and student questions.
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