CampusPin Glossary
Test-optional
An admissions policy under which applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. Scores still help when strong but don't hurt when omitted.
Test-optional is now the dominant U.S. policy: roughly 80 % of accredited 4-year colleges allow applicants to decide whether to send SAT or ACT scores. Submitted scores still factor into the holistic review when they help; an applicant who would test below the school's 25th-percentile range usually withholds. Some schools are test-blind (scores never considered) and some have moved back to test-required since 2024 (notably Dartmouth, MIT, Yale, Harvard for fall 2025+).
Always verify the current policy on each school's official admissions page, since policies are still evolving year to year.
See also
Test-blind
An admissions policy under which SAT/ACT scores are NOT considered, even if submitted. The University of California system is the largest test-blind block.
Test-required
An admissions policy that requires SAT or ACT scores from every applicant. After the COVID-era pause, several elite schools reinstated this in 2024–2025.
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