Many elite colleges around the US, such as Brown and MIT, have switched back to requiring applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores for this year’s applications after dropping the requirement in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The SAT and ACT have become increasingly controversial, especially in the debate over equal opportunities to education. Colleges dropping the requirement cite the disparity in scores between students from high and low income families, while colleges keeping or re-adding requirements find the scores to be a better predictor of success in college than other factors, such as GPA.

When COVID-19 spread in 2020, standardized testing like the SAT and ACT became difficult to administer, and most schools weren’t open for testing. Colleges, recognizing that many students were unable to take the test, dropped score requirements, opting to make their applications “test-optional.” Initially described as a temporary response, it found a more permanent place among many colleges.

A 2023 study done by Harvard-based researchers showed SAT and ACT test scores strongly correlate with income. Students whose families are in the top 20% of earners in the US are seven times as likely to score above a 1300 on the SAT (or a comparative 29 on ACT) than those from families in the bottom 20%, who often lack access to SAT tutoring or test-prep resources used by wealthier families. 

Many colleges hoping to provide more equal opportunities for students have stopped requiring the test, or are not accepting scores at all. Some colleges found downsides to this approach, however.

Lynn Otto, Madison’s College and Career Counselor, commented on changes in applications she’s noticed throughout her time working at Madison.

“The number of applications a student submits has increased over the years […] test optional schools also saw a spike in applications because students didn’t need to submit that test score, so it’s one less barrier they have to get through,” Otto said.

This means that many colleges are dealing with larger application pools, making it more difficult to determine which students should be accepted.

MIT, one of the most competitive colleges reintroducing the requirement, found students accepted with lower test scores were more likely to drop out. Without scores, it was harder to determine which students would be successful. They found that when they returned to considering test scores in combination with other criteria, they produced “the most diverse class that [they’ve] ever had in [their]  history,” according to the MIT Admissions Dean Stuart Schmill.

“It depends a lot on the school, and the number of applications they’re receiving to determine if they want to require testing,” Otto said, explaining why different colleges may choose to handle scores differently. “My hope is that the colleges are doing their research on test scores to figure out if it’s worth it to be part of the admissions process.”

For students, however, one of the main impacts of these decisions is on mental health, with tests often being a cause for additional stress among students. In a survey of 152 Madison students, 64% of seniors that took the SAT said that it resulted in some level of additional stress regarding college applications, with 43% describing the stress as “significant.” Test-optional applications can help reduce this stress, as students planning on applying to test-optional colleges might find some solace knowing that they have the option to not submit test scores if they perform poorly. 

Even among colleges that accept or require test scores, they’re rarely of considerable importance, especially compared to factors such as classes a student has taken, teacher recommendations or character. 

“Kids put more stress on themselves than necessary if they don’t know how much testing influences their college decisions,” Otto said. “Of the factors in college admissions, test scores have never been high up on that list.”

The National Associate for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) released a report on the importance of different factors in admissions, and found that only 4.9% of colleges regarded SAT/ACT scores as being of “considerable importance,” compared to 74% for school grades.

“(The SAT) puts a lot of stress on kids, but it’s a few hours on a Saturday, as opposed to 4 years of your high school career,” Otto said. “Your high school grades matter, maintaining your grade is very important.”

Even considering this, with different colleges making different decisions regarding testing requirements, it can be confusing for students to determine how important their test score will end up being.

“Students need to do their research on the colleges they’re applying to,” Otto said.

She recommends students use fairtest.org or official college websites to check if the colleges they’re hoping to apply to require test scores.

Even if many colleges are choosing to allow students to apply without an SAT or ACT score, there is still value in simply having a score to submit, should a student want or need to. Even with test-optional options, 76% of Madison seniors admit that they still submitted an SAT score on college applications.

“I do think it’s important for kids to have a test score in their back pocket, just to have it, whether it’s an SAT or an ACT,” Otto said. “It’s always been a piece of varying levels of importance. It’s not going to go away.”