The short answer: yes. In 2026, test scores matter more than they have at any point since the pandemic forced the vast majority of colleges to adopt a policy of test-optional admissions. Momentum has been shifting steadily back towards the use of test scores in the admissions process. Seven of the top ten schools in the nation and every member of the Ivy League have now reinstated testing requirements, along with dozens of the most selective private and public flagships in the country.
Test scores are impacting admissions outcomes at test-optional institutions, and test score submission is increasing across the applicant pool. Even the University of California, the symbol of the test-blind movement, is experiencing an open faculty revolt against its own testing policy.
What we've learned from test-optional admissions
There is a growing understanding that “test-optional” does not mean “test-irrelevant,” particularly at more selective colleges and universities. Generally, the more selective the institution, the more impactful test scores are in the admissions process. When admissions offices are flooded with applications for a small number of spots, factors that differentiate applicants, like test scores, take on greater utility. Admissions offices value test scores, even when they don’t require them for review.
Admissions offices frequently adjust their language to signal that, while not required, test scores help admissions officers do their jobs. Boston College broadly "encourages" score submission, and Tufts encourages submission of SAT scores of 1300 or higher and ACT scores of 28 or higher. Rice University "recommends" that students submit testing that showcases their strengths; Grinnell advises that strong testing "may help" applicants, and Emory finds that test scores provide “a demonstration of the applicant’s academic preparation.” This language is hardly neutral, and test scores are not treated neutrally in the admissions process.
Colleges that have examined their own institutional data find time and again that test scores are highly predictive of academic performance. All colleges are looking for ways to compare the academic preparedness of students from over 30,000-plus US high schools and many thousands of international schools. Rampant grade inflation has made effective comparisons more challenging, lending greater utility to standardized measures. Absent SAT and ACT scores, most test-optional colleges place greater weight on other standardized metrics such as AP or IB scores.
Why SAT and ACT scores still matter
The utility of SAT and ACT scores lies primarily in their ability to predict academic performance, particularly at highly selective institutions. We learned from the University of Texas at Austin that test scores are nearly essential to ensure the right students are admitted to the right academic programs. When UT did not require standardized test scores, students without test scores were achieving freshman grades nearly a full point (0.86) below their matched peers who submitted test scores, and students who submitted test scores were 55% less likely to be on academic probation (below a 2.0 GPA).
Students performing at lower levels require more resources and academic support and pose a greater risk of dropping out. This incredible discrepancy in academic performance drove the Texas flagship to reinstate test requirements.
The Ivy Plus study conducted by Raj Chetty and other researchers from the Opportunity Insights group found that for the Ivies plus Chicago, Stanford, Duke, and MIT, standardized test scores were much better than high school grades at predicting collegiate academic performance. The results of their analysis were striking.
In their internal study of variables predicting performance at Dartmouth, researchers Bruce Sacerdote and colleagues found that high school grades predict a mere 9% of the variance in college grades, while the SAT, by itself, explains 22% of the variance. Combining the two variables explains 25% of the variance in grades at Dartmouth. The SAT is the single best predictor of academic achievement for all demographic groups, which helped fuel Dartmouth’s decision to reinstate testing requirements and influenced many colleges to follow suit.
Test Scores, especially the Math subscores, matter more for STEM students
Math scores on the SAT and ACT help colleges with a STEM focus gauge the relative quantitative strength of applicants. MIT was one of the first universities to reinstate test requirements in 2022. Stuart Schmill, MIT’s Dean of Admissions, explained the rationale behind this policy shift: “Our research has shown that, in most cases, we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors.”
Other STEM giants (Caltech, GA Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, and others) have since returned to test requirements. Johns Hopkins noted that its decision was motivated by a desire to “gain confidence in the math preparation of applicants who indicate an interest in math-intensive courses of study like engineering and natural sciences.” Similarly, Cooper Union reinstated test requirements for its engineering school applicants.
When test scores are absent, it is much harder to determine the mathematical preparedness of students, as revealed by the tremendous challenges facing the University of California.
In March, UC San Diego noted the 2400% increase in students requiring math remediation following its move to test-blind admissions. The number of UCSD students testing below high school math level rose nearly thirtyfold, with 70% of those students performing below middle school level.
At UC Berkeley, 20–30% of first-semester calculus students have shown severe preparation deficits for the last three years. These students were admitted with A’s in advanced math courses on their high school transcripts, but they proved lacking in foundational math skills. The combination of grade inflation and no standardized testing made it nearly impossible for admissions officers to distinguish prepared students from unprepared ones; the university faculty was under-resourced to handle the challenge of teaching so many students in need of remedial support.
More students are submitting scores to test-optional colleges
Admissions officers aren’t the only ones aware of the rising importance of admissions tests. Students have taken notice. They have increasingly come to understand the relative advantages afforded by strong testing, and they are adjusting their behavior accordingly. More students are submitting test scores, and the Common App revealed an 11% annual increase in test score submission for the most recent admissions cycle. This increase in test-score submission is particularly notable among selective test-optional institutions. At elite, test-optional schools like the University of Chicago and UNC Chapel Hill, 76% and 69% of enrolled students, respectively, submitted test scores, per the Common Data Set.
The return of test requirements
The roster of test-required institutions has grown dramatically in recent years and shows no sign of decelerating. Every Ivy League institution has now returned to test requirements, along with the aforementioned STEM giants, Georgetown, Stanford, Miami, Purdue, the military academies, and others. The flagship public universities are likewise moving. The Florida system never dropped its testing requirements, and the southern states have been filling in the map, with test requirements emerging in Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. Ohio State University reinstated testing requirements, and other schools are contemplating making the transition back as well. More test requirements are coming, and students must be prepared to adjust to shifting admissions policies as more colleges transition away from test-blind and test-optional admissions.
Should students submit scores when given the choice?
When applying to test-optional schools, here is a practical framework we recommend:
Start with the published data. Turn to the Common Data Set to determine the middle 50% SAT and ACT ranges (the 25th–75th percentile scores for accepted students) for every college on your list. If your test score lands at the midpoint or higher for a given college, that is a green light to submit that score. If your score falls within the middle 50%, even towards the lower end, submission is usually the right call at selective institutions. There are some considerations, such as where in the range the score falls, the relative strength of your GPA and course-taking, and whether a subscore is strong enough to differentiate a candidate for a particular major. There are certainly more nuances to consider within the 25%–50% range. Students tend to withhold test scores that fall below the 25th percentile unless there are specific conditions, such as being a first-generation college student or applying with a score that is low for the college but particularly strong for your high school and/or geographic region.
Weight selectivity heavily. At colleges with admit rates in the 5–15% range, the calculus has shifted: roughly half to two-thirds of applicants now apply in early rounds, score submission continues to rise, and elite schools are enrolling classes with some 60–80% of students submitting test scores. In pools that are so competitive, applying without testing deprives you of a powerful differentiating factor.
Look for language from admissions offices. Some admissions officers will tell you directly whether to apply with a particular score or withhold it from your application. This degree of transparency makes things much easier for everyone. Further, more admissions departments are giving hints and clues on their websites regarding whether they prefer to see testing.
Consider your intended major. A strong math subscore carries extra weight for STEM applicants, who should prioritize testing in the admissions process.
Know when scores won't help. If your score sits meaningfully below a college's 25th percentile and the rest of your application is strong, withholding may be the better play at that particular school. Scores also have less impact at less selective institutions and don’t matter at all, at least for the time being, at test-blind colleges and universities
The key is that this is a school-by-school decision, not a single yes or no answer for a given test score. The majority of students will benefit by sending a particular test score to some institutions and withholding it from others.
What this means for families
Plan on taking baseline tests for the SAT and ACT. Even if every school on your child's list is currently test-optional, that can change. Testing policies announced in junior year can reshape a student’s college list. A student with a strong score has more options; a student without one has constraints. Preparing for the SAT or ACT keeps more doors open.
Treat scores as a differentiating factor. In a sea of sameness, when A-averages abound, testing becomes more important. When an A grade is an indication of average performance, which may be decoupled from academic attainment and preparedness, testing can give a stronger signal of one’s actual academic strengths.
Start early. With most selective applicants now applying in early rounds, the real testing deadline is typically the September test dates and sometimes the October test dates, depending upon individual admission policies. Build a testing timeline that allows for baseline testing, focused preparation, and ideally 2-3 official tests before early applications are due.
Stay current. Verify and update each college's testing policy. Requirements vary not just by school but by program, honors college, and scholarship.
Testing should be a part of the admissions conversation for every family planning for college. Whether or not students take official SATs or ACTs or submit official test scores, it’s important for families to understand that standardized admissions tests are going to only increase in importance in the domain of selective college admissions. Momentum for testing is growing and shows no signs of slowing in the near term.
FAQs About SAT and ACT Requirements
Do SAT and ACT scores still matter?
Yes. Many top private schools, STEM-focused institutions, and public flagships now require scores. At many highly selective test-optional colleges, the majority of admitted students submit scores. Research from dozens of institutions reveals that test scores are a valuable predictor of college academic performance.
Does test-optional mean test scores don't matter?
No. Test-optional means you choose whether to submit or withhold scores, but test submission routinely influences admissions outcomes. When Yale was test-optional, it admitted SAT and ACT submitters at triple the rate of non-submitters. Optional is not the same as irrelevant, and test submission can move the needle.
Should I submit scores to a test-optional college?
Submit if your score falls within or above the college's middle 50% range for admitted students, and lean toward submitting at highly selective schools and for STEM majors. Consider withholding testing if your score falls meaningfully below a school's 25th percentile. Make each decision of submit or withhold on a school-by-school basis.
Are more colleges returning to test-required admissions?
Yes. The movement has accelerated each year: UGA, GA Tech, and Georgetown in 2021; MIT, Tennessee, and Purdue in 2022; Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, Harvard, Texas, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon and Caltech in 2024; Miami, Penn, Ohio State University, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Auburn, and Alabama in 2025; LSU, Columbia, and Claremont McKenna so far in 2026. Even the test-blind University of California faces STEM and humanities faculty petitions with nearly 2,000 signatures seeking to restore test requirements.
What should students do if a college is test-optional?
Take baseline SAT and ACT tests to determine the relative strength of your testing in the context of the schools on your list. Decide strategically whether to prepare for a test or build a purely test-optional college list, understanding that testing policies can change over time. Submit scores that are on or above profile and withhold scores that are below profile. Having strong test scores preserves a greater degree of flexibility across your entire list.
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