When I die, I suspect my former students will want my tombstone epitaph to read: “It Depends.” A significant number of my responses to students’ questions about the importance of the SAT and ACT in college admissions begins with those two words. As colleges reevaluate the test-optional policies they put in place during the pandemic, a small number have reinstated testing requirements. These schools, which include Dartmouth, Brown, University of Florida, and Georgia Tech, have moved from test optional to test required. On the other end of the spectrum, the University of California System, Reed College, and Washington State are test blind (test free), which means they will not accept standardized test score submissions from any applicant. The vast majority of universities in the U.S., however, remain test optional. As the post-pandemic era has ushered in a wider range of testing policies, here is what we know and can control when the future of testing is anything but standardized. 

Keep a Sense of Perspective 

Test scores are only one aspect of a student’s college application. A strong academic record is far more important. Having high test scores does not ensure admission to competitive colleges—especially if the academic and co-curricular record of a student is not strong. Commitment to excellence in classes and one or two activities is far more likely to help a student gain admission than high test scores and average or below-average grades with scattered activities. The vast majority of colleges in America practice holistic review when they read an admissions application, which means they consider the whole applicant, rather than focusing on one factor. 

Understand the Testing Format 

When students are familiar with which standardized tests they need to take and what the testing format will look like, their anxiety level decreases. We provide students with the opportunity to practice for both the tests on campus. Each fall, all sophomores take an online practice PSAT, and they sit for a practice Pre-ACT in the spring. All juniors take the official PSAT, a pre-SAT exam, in the fall. Recently, the news media has been awash with information about changes to the tests. Roughly every decade, the testing formats are slightly altered. The most noticeable changes to both tests include more algebra and contextual reading-related questions, and, for the SAT only, a digital format. The ACT plans to roll out a digital test in the fall of 2025. The College Counseling Office monitors changes to the SAT and ACT in order to best serve our students, and the pre-exams they take will reflect the changes to both tests.

Be Mindful of the Optimal Testing Timeline 

For most students, the second semester of the junior year is the ideal time to sit for the SAT or ACT for the first time. UPrep provides all students with the opportunity to take the official SAT or ACT on campus during the spring of their junior year and the fall of their senior year. There is nothing underclassmen need to do now to prepare for standardized testing, besides working hard in school and reading, reading, and reading some more!  

Do Your Homework about Test Optional 

Whereas the vast majority of colleges that say they are test optional truly are, some have higher admission rates for students who submit test scores. The College Counseling Office monitors which colleges are test preferred in the test-optional space. 

Remember Students Are More Than a Test Score 

Every student has wonderfully unique academic attributes that are far more important than composite scores on a standardized test. No test can measure a student’s heart, character, resilience, ability to generate new ideas, and the distance traveled during their life. 

Keep Your Eyes On Your Own Paper 

It is easy to worry about what everyone else is doing and forget what is best for you, especially when it comes to testing. Since the majority of the public universities on the West Coast are test blind, students focused on attending public institutions in this geographic region no longer need to sit for the SAT or ACT. Yes, cue the confetti and balloons for those students. However, students looking to head to a small number of schools on the East Coast or in Europe where tests are required will need to take the SAT or ACT. Every student’s college list is different, which means that some students will sit for standardized tests and for others this might not be necessary.  

In general, standardized testing can inform admissions decisions, but it often does not drive these decisions. Test results are not a scarlet letter or a golden ticket, but rather something that must be understood in context. I hope when the topic of testing arises, our students understand that if they take and submit testing for college admissions, it will probably be dictated by their college lists. I also hope that when “It Depends” is etched as my tombstone epitaph, someone will leave me one of those frozen Tombstone-brand pizzas. I am embarrassed to admit that I often consume the extra cheese version when reading up on the latest testing trends. As you dig into the standardized testing process, I wish you a slice of sanity and something that is gooey and delicious as well.

Check out UPrep’s standardized testing resources: Frequently Asked Questions and the UPrep College Counseling Timeline.