Test-Optional vs Test-Required Colleges in 2026: Should You Submit SAT or ACT Scores?
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Many highly selective colleges now require the SAT or ACT again, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Penn and Johns Hopkins, so most students applying to top colleges should plan to take a test. At test-optional colleges, submit your score if it is at or above the college’s middle 50% range, and leave it out if it is well below.
What the policies mean
| Policy | What it means |
|---|---|
| Test-required | You must submit an SAT or ACT score to be considered. |
| Test-optional | You choose whether to submit a score. Applications without one are reviewed without penalty. |
| Test-flexible | You must submit some test, but you can choose among the SAT, ACT and other exams such as AP or IB. |
| Test-free (test-blind) | The college does not look at SAT or ACT scores for admission, even if you send them. |
Colleges that require the SAT or ACT
These colleges have announced that they require scores for recent or upcoming admission cycles. Policies change, so confirm each one on the college’s admissions website before you apply.
- Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania
- Stanford, MIT and Caltech
- Johns Hopkins University (Krieger and Whiting schools)
- Carnegie Mellon University (School of Computer Science; most other schools are test-flexible)
- University of Texas at Austin, Ohio State University (Columbus) and the University of Miami
- University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and other University System of Georgia campuses
- Princeton, Columbia and Notre Dame have announced requirements starting with the 2027–28 application cycle
Colleges that do not use scores
The University of California and California State University systems are test-free: they do not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission. Many other colleges remain test-optional.
Should you submit your score?
- Submit it if your score is at or above the middle 50% range for that college.
- Consider leaving it out if your score is well below the 25th percentile and the college is test-optional.
- Remember that scores can also count toward merit scholarships, course placement and honors programs at some colleges, even when admission is test-optional.