Are SAT and ACT Scores Making a Comeback in College Admissions?

As colleges across the nation reevaluate their admissions policies, standardized testing requirements have become increasingly vital for prospective students. Following temporary test-optional policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, several prestigious institutions are reinstating their test requirements.

You'll notice that Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, and the University of Florida never wavered in their mandatory submission policies, while Yale University has recently returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. These test requirements reflect universities' belief that standardized assessments provide valuable data for predicting academic preparedness and collegiate success.

The admissions competitiveness at test-required institutions varies widely, with acceptance rates ranging from Yale's highly selective 4.5% to the University of Florida's more accessible 31%. This spectrum demonstrates that test requirements aren't exclusive to the most competitive schools.

When you're applying to test-required institutions, understanding their typical score ranges becomes crucial for gauging your chances of admission. For competitive consideration at top-tier universities, you'll need to aim high on standardized tests. Understanding score percentiles can help you assess where you stand relative to other applicants at your target schools. 

The nation's most prestigious institutions typically look for SAT scores between 1470-1580, with Ivy League schools' 75th percentile scores hovering around 1550. Most Ivy League institutions boast average SAT scores around 1500, demonstrating the exceptional academic caliber expected from applicants. Dartmouth College, with its 6.2% acceptance rate, was the first Ivy League school to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic.

At Stanford, admitted students scored between 1510-1570, while MIT's range was 1520-1580. Georgetown represents the lower threshold for highly selective schools with middle 50% scores of 1390-1530. Business programs maintain particularly rigorous standards, with NYU Stern and Cornell's Dyson School leading the pack with average SAT scores of 1540.

If you're interested in these programs, you should note that NYU Stern reported the highest average ACT score at 35.3, though only 12% of incoming students submitted ACT results. In contrast to traditional testing requirements, some institutions have adopted test blind policies that completely eliminate standardized test scores from their admissions evaluation process. In March 2024, the College Board introduced a new digital format for the SAT, making the test two hours long with adaptive questions. Recent studies have shown that standardized tests can help identify high-potential students from under-resourced high schools who might otherwise be overlooked. Despite this trend toward reinstating test requirements, many selective institutions continue embracing test-optional policies.

Washington University in St. Louis, Haverford College, and Lehigh University allow applications without standardized test scores. Washington and Lee University has extended their temporary test-optional policy through the 2025-2026 admissions cycle.

When planning your college application strategy, you'll need to research each institution's current testing policy carefully. SAT and ACT requirements continue to evolve, with some schools firmly committed to standardized testing while others maintain flexibility in how they evaluate prospective students.

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