--- title: "The End of Test-Optional College Admission? | Elite Prep" description: "What do Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, the University of Georgia, Georgetown, Purdue, and Georgia Tech have in common?" url: "https://eliteprep.com/blog/2024/14/the-end-of-test-optional-policies-in-college-admission/" image: "https://media.eliteprep.com/Dartmouth%2BBrownetc%2BSAT%2BRequired%2BLogos-webp-card.jpg" language: "en" datePublished: "2024-03-09T15:15:00.000Z" source: "eliteprep build" --- [Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) [Resources](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/resources/) [SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) [ACT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/act/) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) # The End of Test-Optional Policies in College Admission? March 9, 2024 2 min read [Explore Digital SAT® Prep](https://eliteprep.com/programs/sat-prep/) ![Circular logos for Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, University of Georgia, Georgetown, Purdue, and Georgia Tech over a tablet](https://eliteprep.com/media/Dartmouth%2BBrownetc%2BSAT%2BRequired%2BLogos-webp-w800.webp) ## What do Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, the **University of Georgia,** Georgetown, **Purdue, and Georgia Tech** have in common? As of March 2024, **all of these selective colleges and universities have reinstated standardized test requirements that were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic.** The universities that have reinstated the standardized test requirement explain that **test scores help them identify students who have the ability to succeed in college** in an environment where **grading standards may differ widely** between high schools across the country. Furthermore, since colleges consider test scores in the context of the student’s local school environment, a solid test score achieved by a student from a less privileged background can be **a strong indicator of that student’s potential for success in college**. While some universities (most notably the University of California and Caltech) have decided not to consider SAT and ACT scores as a part of the admission process anymore, **a majority of selective universities, including those that have adopted a test-optional policy, continue to look at standardized test scores when evaluating which students to admit into their freshman class**. More to the point, many selective colleges consider standardized test scores to be **“very important”** when making admission decisions even though students are not required to submit test scores as a part of their college application. **Simply stated, presenting a strong SAT or ACT score in college applications helps students stand out against the competition.** ### **So, what should YOU do?** 1. Before the end of your sophomore year or at the beginning of your junior year, **take a practice test** for the SAT and ACT to see which test you prefer. 2. **Set a target score** based on the average test scores for admitted students at the colleges and universities you are planning to apply to. 3. **Practice and prepare**, and then take the test in your junior or senior year. 4. If you get a score that is **above average** for the colleges and universities you are planning to apply to, then your score may help you in the admission process. 5. Colleges consider test scores in the context of **your local school environment**. So, if your score is above average for your high school, then your score may still help you in the admission process even if the score is not above average for the colleges and universities you’re applying to. *\[Note: This article has been updated to include Yale University and Brown University, which announced that they would reinstate standardized test requirements in February and March 2024, respectively.]* ## Free Tools for This Topic - [SAT score percentiles](https://eliteprep.com/sat-percentiles/) - [SAT & ACT superscore calculator](https://eliteprep.com/superscore-calculator/) - [ACT score percentiles](https://eliteprep.com/act-percentiles/) ## More on This Topic [All posts in Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) ![Two students with backpacks looking at a tablet together outdoors, one holding books](https://media.eliteprep.com/iStock-922831102-webp-w400.webp) [Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) [Resources](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/resources/) ### [Navigating the College Application Process: A Guide for High School Juniors Starting in April](https://eliteprep.com/blog/navigating-the-college-application-process-juniors/) As high school juniors approach the final stretch of their secondary education, the prospect of college looms on the horizon. April 19, 2024 ![Red brick collegiate Gothic university building with twin towers and an arched entrance at dusk, seen across an empty crosswalk.](https://media.eliteprep.com/iStock-594949892-webp-w400.webp) [Students](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/students/) ### [More Colleges Are Requiring Standardized Tests – What This Means for Students Applying to Test-optional Schools](https://eliteprep.com/blog/more-colleges-are-requiring-standardized-tests/) High school students applying to colleges that require the SAT or ACT scores are also likely to apply to colleges that are test-optional. February 27, 2025 ![Split image: a university campanile tower among trees, and hands typing on a laptop with multiple-choice A B C D answer bubbles overlaid.](https://media.eliteprep.com/UC-SAT-Faculty-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Could the SAT and ACT Return to UC Admissions? What High School Sophomores Need to Know](https://eliteprep.com/blog/could-the-sat-and-act-return-to-uc-admissions/) For the past several years, the University of California has operated under a test-blind admissions policy… May 29, 2026 ![Person typing on a laptop behind a digital overlay of a multiple-choice test with answers A, B, C, D checked](https://media.eliteprep.com/iStock-Laptop_Multiple_Choice-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Why Public Universities Should Reconsider Requiring Standardized Tests](https://eliteprep.com/blog/why-public-universities-should-reconsider-requiring-standardized-tests/) The debate over standardized testing at public universities has become increasingly polarized. January 7, 2026 ## Test Dates - Next: SAT: December 5, 2026 · Registration closes November 20, 2026 [See all test dates →](https://eliteprep.com/test-dates/) ## Ready to Study This with an Instructor? Elite Prep offers this program at centers across the country. Review what the course covers, or find the center nearest you. [Explore Digital SAT® Prep](https://eliteprep.com/programs/sat-prep/) [Browse programs](https://eliteprep.com/programs/)