Georgetown, MIT, and Dartmouth are some of the biggest college names to throw around, but they are also among a few of the many schools that have recently changed their standardized testing admissions policies back to being test-required.
Four years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities changed their test policy to account for COVID-19.
“When COVID-19 hit, every college went test-optional because you couldn’t go anywhere to test, and this policy has stood for a while,” Wyatt Sterling ‘25, co-president of the high school’s SAT club, said. “Last year most admissions were all test-optional, but now we’re seeing colleges come back to what they originally were before COVID-19. A lot of private schools are starting to require some type of test scores again, whether it’s the SAT, ACT or AP scores.”
As schools are changing their policies, schools are also emphasizing other scores, such as AP scores. Universities, such as Yale and New York University, have implemented a test-flexible policy, so if students don’t score well on a standardized test but do well on an AP test, they could submit AP exam scores, and vice versa. Test-flexible also allows students to not submit any test scores at all.
“Some schools are test flexible, meaning that if you submit an SAT score or an AP score, they’ll have that be a part of the equation. If you don’t, then they won’t have that be a part of the equation. It’s giving the applicant their own choice and it helps admission officers understand a student’s college preparedness,” Elle Burgess, a counselor at the high school, said.
With all these admissions changes, most students are confused as to why some colleges are going back to their old ways and why other colleges are staying with test-optional.
“Some colleges, such as Yale, saw that standardized tests were reflective of your Yale GPA and I think other schools have also found that standardized tests are a standard and tell how well you’re going to do at that school,” Sterling said.
For colleges and universities keeping their test-optional policy, schools have noticed how the wage gap affects standardized test scores.
“Some schools have found that test-optional is the best way to create a diverse and fair class, especially with income gaps on the SAT, ACT, and all standardized testing” Gray Flermoen ‘25, co-president of the SAT club, said.
These changes have marked a gray area for students, where many have to start putting time and effort into studying for another component of their college applications.
“Post-COVID-19, I think it was such a peace of mind for students to not have standardized testing be a part of their admissions’ equation and that they could look at students throughout the last four years and not just on a Saturday of what they did for those four hours,” Burgess said.
On the other hand, more resources are easily accessible to guarantee that students can achieve their goal scores.
“The move to the digital SAT helps close the income gap a little bit, especially with the study resources it’s brought. BlueBook practice basically mirrors exactly what the digital SAT is like. That can be beneficial for students who can’t necessarily afford to get practice,” Flermoen said.
Ultimately, standardized testing is back, at least in some shape or form. Fortunately, there are free resources available for students to prepare, such as BlueBook and Khan Academy’s Digital SAT prep. The high school also has an SAT and ACT club for students to get in more practice.
“Take early initiative on your tests, such as taking one early so you can see where you’re at and how much you need to study. If you do well, maybe you don’t have to worry about it later on,” Flermoen said.
