SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Which Colleges Aren’t Requiring SAT/ACT Scores for 2020 Admissions? Posted by Christine Sarikas | Aug 16, 2020 12:00:00 PM COLLEGE ADMISSIONS   The novel coronavirus has had a massive impact on colleges, and that includes college admissions. Because of stay-at-home orders, virtual learning, and cancelled SAT and ACT exam dates, among other things, many universities are aware that it might be difficult or impossible for incoming high school seniors to take and do well on standardized tests in time for application deadlines. The result? Dozens of colleges have dropped their SAT and ACT test requirements for the 2020/2021 college admissions cycle. Which schools have cancelled exams? Will they reinstate these test requirements next year? If you’re able to take a test, should you still submit your scores? This guide covers all those questions.   Which Colleges Are Not Requiring SAT/ACT Scores for 2020/2021 College Admissions? Below is a chart of all the colleges and universities in the United States that are no longer requiring SAT/ACT scores for any applicants for the 2020/2021 admissions cycle as a result of the coronavirus. Some notable inclusions are the University of California system, all the Ivy League schools, and top liberal arts colleges like Williams, Amherst, Wellesley, Swarthmore, and Middlebury. Note that this list only includes colleges that have become test optional as a result of the coronavirus; colleges that were already test optional before the pandemic are listed here. Also note that this list only includes schools that are dropping the SAT/ACT requirement. Other schools still require the SAT/ACT but are dropping requirements for SAT Subject Tests and AP tests for this year’s applicants.   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 at Montgomery Montgomery, AL Barnard College New York, NY Baylor University Waco, TX Bethany College Bethany, WV Binghamton University Binghamton, NY Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND Bluefield State University Bluefield, WV Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Boston University Boston, MA Brigham Young University Provo, UT Brown University Providence, RI California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA Carleton College Carleton, MN Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Central College Pella, IA Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA Clemson University Clemson, SC Cleveland State College Cleveland, TN Colgate University Hamilton, NY Columbia University New York, NY Concordia University Texas Austin, TX Cornell University Ithaca, NY Cottey College Nevada, MO Dartmouth College Hanover, NH Davidson College Davidson, NC Drury University Springfield, MO Duke University Durham, NC Elon University Elon, NC Emory University Atlanta, GA Fairmont State University Fairmont, WV Franklin College Franklin, IN Gonzaga University Spokane, WA Grinnell College Grinnell, IA Hamilton College Clinton, NY Harvard College Cambridge, MA Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA Haverford College Haverford, PA Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, IN 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 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  Cambridge, MA Marymount Manhattan College New York City, NY Miami University (Ohio) Miami, Ohio Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Middlebury College Middlebury, VT Midway University Midway, KY Millersville University Millersville, PA Millikin University Decatur, IL Minnesota State University, Moorhead Moorhead, MN Mississippi College Clinton, MS New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ New York University New York, NY Newberry College Newberry, SC North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC Northeastern University Boston, MA Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY Northwestern University  Evanston, IL Ohio University Athens, OH Ohio State University Columbus, OH Oregon State University Corvallis, OR Penn State University Park, PA Pomona College Claremont, CA Portland State University Portland, OR Princeton University Princeton, NJ Purdue University West Lafayette, IN Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY Rhodes College Memphis, TN Rutgers University—Camden Camden, NJ Rutgers—New Brunswick Piscataway, NJ Rutgers University—Newark Newark, NJ Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO Saint Vincent College  Latrobe, PA Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 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 Stanford University Stanford, CA State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo, NY Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Southwest Baptist University Bolivar, MO Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 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, AK University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, 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 Diego San Diego, 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 Delaware Newark, DE University of Massachusetts  Amherst, MA University of Miami Miami, FL University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI University of Mount Union Alliance, OH University of Nevada–Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV University of Nevada–Reno Reno, NV University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC University of North Dakota–Grand Forks Grand Forks, ND University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN University of Oregon Eugene, OR University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 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 Richmond Richmond, VA University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA University of Texas—Austin Austin, TX University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA University of Virginia–Wise Wise, VA University of Washington Seattle, WA Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY Virginia Tech University Blacksburg, VA Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA Washington State University Vancouver Vancouver, WA Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO Wayne State University Detroit, MI Wellesley College Wellesley, MA 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 Yale University New Haven, CT Yeshiva University New York, NY       Will These Schools Eventually Return to Requiring Standardized Test Scores? The short answer is that some colleges will, some won’t. Some schools, such as the University of California system, have stated that the suspension of requiring ACT/SAT scores is only a temporary move. Some schools, such as Tufts University and Trinity University, are using this as a trial period, and will keep their test-optional policy for three years before deciding whether to implement it permanently or not. Other schools, such as the University of Oregon and Scripps College, have announced that they’ve decided to become permanently test optional, beginning with the 2020/2021 admissions cycle. However, most schools aren’t committing to whether or not they’ll continue their test-optional policy after the pandemic ends. What we do know, though, is that more and more schools are becoming test optional. Colleges are making an effort to attract more diverse applicants, and they don’t want potential students to be held back by circumstances beyond their control, whether that’s test centers being shut down because of the coronavirus or students not being able to afford standardized tests, even in non-pandemic times. Additionally, research has shown that students from more affluent backgrounds consistently have higher SAT and ACT scores, so many schools are dropping the standardized test requirement so students from more disadvantaged backgrounds aren’t put at a further disadvantage during the college admissions process. Already, over 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States are test optional, and others are test flexible (where you don’t need to submit test scores if you have a certain GPA or meet another requirement). We expect this number to only grow over time.   If You Have SAT or ACT Scores, Should You Still Submit Them? What if you’ve already taken the SAT or ACT, or you’re able to do so before college deadlines? Should you submit those scores? First, we recommend everyone who is reasonably able to take the SAT/ACT. You shouldn’t fly across the country during a pandemic to take the SAT/ACT, but if you can safely take the test nearby, you should. Your scores might be higher than you expect, and even if they’re not, if you’re applying to a test optional school, you’re under no requirement to submit them. Taking a standardized test gives you the most options. Second, it’s important to understand what “test optional” means. When a school says they are test optional, it means they don’t require SAT or ACT scores, but they will still review and consider them as part of your application. It does not mean that SAT and ACT scores are no longer important. Only schools that are “test blind” don’t look at standardized test scores at all. Test blind is a very rare policy, and currently only Hampshire College follows it. What does this mean for you? It means that, even for test optional schools, strong SAT or ACT scores will absolutely still help your college applications. Not submitting test scores won’t hurt your application, as these schools have stated, but it also means you lose out on a potential chance to make your application stronger. So, how to decide? Use these guidelines:   Submit test scores if: Your test scores are strong (at or near the 75th percentiles of admitted students to the school) You don’t have other strong test scores (AP tests, SAT Subject Tests, etc.) to send The school still recommends submitting scores if you can   Don’t submit test scores if: Your test scores are low (Below 50th percentiles of admitted students) You’re confident other areas of your application (GPA, class rank, extracurriculars, etc.) make up for a lack of test scores You have strong test scores from other exams (AP tests, SAT Subject Tests, etc.) that you will submit Basically, for people able to take the SAT or ACT, submit your test scores if you think they’ll help you. They’re still an important part of admissions decisions, even for test optional schools. Only don’t submit scores if you feel they’ll be a particularly weak area of your application. Colleges won’t hold it against you for not being able to take a standardized test, but you’ll still need the rest of your application to be strong in order to convince them to admit you.     What’s Next? Need help preparing for the SAT? Read our ultimate study guide to get expert tips on prep and access to the best free online resources. Debating whether to take the SAT or ACT? Read our extensive ACT vs SAT guide to learn about the differences between the two tests and to get tips on choosing the right one for you. Do you know all the steps to apply to college? Check out this article to learn about the full college application process, step by step.   Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world’s best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We’ve overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Get Into Your Top Choice School   Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Share Christine Sarikas About the Author Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master’s from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. SIGN UP! 100% Privacy. No spam ever. Ask a Question Below Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we’ll reply! 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