The Covid-19 pandemic ushered in a new era in elite college admissions: test-optional admissions policies. While test-optional admissions policies existed before the pandemic’s onset, before 2020, most of America’s top colleges required the submission of either SAT or ACT scores for admission.

With test cancellations and administrative closures due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021, many top colleges adopted test-optional or test-free admissions policies. But now that the pandemic is in our rearview, many of these schools have returned to the pre-Covid norm. While some of these schools have announced that their test-optional policies will remain in effect for a couple of years or, in some cases, in perpetuity, others have reaffirmed their commitment to standardized testing. So what exactly does this all mean?

What Does Test-Optional Mean?

Under a test-optional admissions policy, applicants are not required to submit an SAT or ACT score to earn admission. Students are given the choice of whether or not they wish to report their scores. It’s up to them to determine if their scores will help or hurt their case for admission and if their scores accurately reflect their academic prowess.

What Does Test-Free Mean?

Under a test-free admissions policy, which is rarer than a test-optional admissions policy, students are not asked to submit test scores, typically by order of the law. For example, the University of California schools, public institutions, do not permit the consideration of SAT or ACT scores in admissions decision-making due to a California judiciary decision.

Top Test-Optional and Test-Free Colleges

Below are the test-optional or test-free policies for the top national universities and liberal arts colleges. Less selective colleges with test-optional or test-free policies can be found through FairTest.

Top National Universities and Their Testing Policy

College / University	2026 US News Rank (“Best National Universities”)	Test-Optional or Test-Free Admissions Policy	Current Test-Optional or Test-Free Policy Commitment Through (if applicable)
Princeton University	#1	Test-Optional	2027
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	#2	Testing Required
Harvard University	#3	Testing Required
Stanford University	#4	Testing Required
Yale University	#4	Testing Required
University of Chicago	#6	Test-Optional
Duke University	#7	Test-Optional	2027
Johns Hopkins University	#7	Testing Required
Northwestern University	#7	Test-Optional
University of Pennsylvania	#7	Testing Required
California Institute of Technology	#11	Testing Required
Cornell University	#12	Testing Required
Brown University	#13	Testing Required
Dartmouth College	#13	Testing Required
Columbia University	#15	Test-Optional	2027
University of California, Berkeley	#15	Test-Free
Rice University	#17	Test-Optional
University of California, Los Angeles	#17	Test-Free
Vanderbilt University	#17	Test-Optional	2027
Carnegie Mellon University	#20	Test-Optional (Required for School of Computer Science Applicants)
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor	#20	Test-Optional
University of Notre Dame	#20	Test-Optional	2027
Washington University in St. Louis	#20	Test-Optional
Emory University	#24	Test-Optional
Georgetown University	#24	Testing Required
University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill	#26	Test-Optional (for students with a GPA above 2.8)
University of Virginia	#26	Test-Optional
University of Southern California	#28	Test-Optional
University of California, San Diego	#29	Test-Free
University of Florida	#30	Testing Required
The University of Texas at Austin	#30	Testing Required
Georgia Institute of Technology	#32	Testing Required
New York University	#32	Test Optional
University of Calfiornia, Davis	#32	Test-Free
University of California, Irvine	#32	Test-Free
Boston College	#36	Test-Optional
Tufts University	#36	Test-Optional
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	#36	Test-Optional
University of Wisconsin–Madison	#36	Test-Optional	2027
University of California, Santa Barbara	#40	Test-Free
The Ohio State University	#41	Testing Required
Boston University	#42	Test-Optional	2028
Rutgers University–New Brunswick	#42	Test-Optional	2027
University of Maryland, College Park	#42	Test-Optional	2027
University of Washington	#42	Test-Optional
Lehigh University	#46	Test-Optional
Northeastern University	#46	Test-Optional
Purdue University–Main Campus	#46	Testing Required
University of Georgia	#46	Testing Required
University of Rochester	#46	Test-Optional

Top Liberal Arts Colleges

College / University	2026 US News Rank (“Best National Universities”)	Test-Optional or Test-Free Admissions Policy	Current Test-Optional or Test-Free Policy Commitment Through (if applicable)
Williams College	1	Test-Optional
Amherst College	2	Test-Optional
Swarthmore College	4	Test-Optional
Bowdoin College	5	Test-Optional
Claremont McKenna College	7	Test-Optional	2027
Pomona College	7	Test-Optional
Wellesley College	7	Test-Optional	2027
Carleton College	10	Test-Optional
Harvey Mudd College	10	Test-Optional
Barnard College	13	Test-Optional	2027
Davidson College	13	Test-Optional
Grinnell College	13	Test-Optional
Hamilton College	13	Test-Optional
Middlebury College	13	Test-Optional
Smith College	13	Test-Optional
Vassar College	13	Test-Optional
Wesleyan University	13	Test-Optional
Washington and Lee University	21	Test-Optional	2026
Colgate University	23	Test-Optional	2027
University of Richmond	23	Test-Optional
Bates College	24	Test-Optional
Colby College	24	Test-Optional
Haverford College	24	Test-Optional

Test-Optional Colleges FAQ

If a college claims students are at no disadvantage for not submitting test scores, should I believe them?

No, colleges are businesses. Businesses need customers. These schools want to encourage as many students to apply as possible, even unqualified students, to rack up those application dollars and lower their admission rate. While regrettable, colleges often don’t tell it like it is. For example, many schools claim to be need-blind when they’re need-aware. If they were genuinely need-blind, many schools wouldn’t ask students if they require financial aid on applications.

Why have so many colleges returned to requiring standardized tests?

The fact of the matter is that standardized tests help predict success in college, and these schools simply did not want to forego this crucial data. Take it from Ivy Coach’s Jayson Weingarten, who was quoted in an article published in Education Week called “Dartmouth and Yale Are Backtracking on ‘Test-Optional’ Admissions. Why That Matters:”

“At the end of the day,” Weingarten said, “students who are competitive in terms of their raw academic metrics, and students who are compelling in what they do, their background, and their aspirations — those students are going to continue to earn college admissions, despite changes in admissions policies.”

Are some colleges more honest than others concerning their test-optional admissions policies?

Yes, generally, schools that were test-optional before the pandemic, such as many of the top liberal arts colleges and the University of Chicago, are the more honest players regarding their testing policies.

Can students submit test scores to test-free colleges?

Test scores will not be considered for admission to test-free colleges. Some test-free schools will, however, allow students to submit SAT or ACT scores for various scholarships (hi, University of California schools!).

If a student can’t get a great test score, should they withhold their results?

Yes, while we’re all for students submitting top scores to test-optional schools, if a student genuinely can’t get a top score, we’re all for that student taking advantage of the school’s test-optional admissions policy.

All of America’s top test-optional schools do admit students without test scores. It’s just not to these students’ advantage in the admissions process to apply without scores.

Are test-free colleges more honest than test-optional colleges concerning testing?

Yes, if a school is test-free, they really don’t consider test scores. For test-optional schools, until the school releases the percentage of students who get in with and without SAT or ACT scores since the onset of the pandemic, we at Ivy Coach will remain skeptical of their honesty because we know better.

Ivy Coach’s SAT and ACT Tutoring

From atop our soapbox in elite college admissions, we at Ivy Coach have argued since well before the pandemic that under test-optional admissions policies, students with top scores will always enjoy an advantage over students with no scores. This stance remains our position today, no matter what a college admissions office may write on its website to the contrary.

After all, the college wants students to apply. The more students who apply, the lower the school’s admissions rate will drop, and the higher the school will be ranked in US News & World Report in its influential annual ranking.

So, yes, students can apply with test scores, but it doesn’t mean they’ll be on equal footing with students who boast top test scores. It’s why we always encourage Ivy Coach’s students to aim for top scores with the help of our SAT and ACT tutoring.

If you’re interested in Ivy Coach’s tutoring or in discerning if you should submit your scores to a test-optional university, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll reach out.