Five years after the pandemic triggered a seismic shift in college admissions, the “test‑optional” model has become the new normal. For the Fall 2025 cycle, an estimated 90 % of institutions no longer require the SAT or ACT — up from roughly one‑third in 2019‑20.

But “normal” doesn’t mean universal—and it certainly doesn’t mean simple. While thousands of institutions still have test-optional policies, the nation’s most selective universities have moved sharply in the opposite direction, reinstating score requirements. And, as we’ve discussed before, even among those schools that are officially test-optional, many either directly or indirectly indicate a preference for test scores.

This article unpacks the latest data and institutional shifts in test-optional policies to help families make informed, strategic testing decisions.

What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say)

At first glance, the volume of applications to four‑year colleges has continued to rise even as test submission rates fell. For example, the College Board reports that among its 60‑institution consortium, applications grew by about 38 % from Fall 2020 to Fall 2024. Based solely on this metric, it might seem as though test-optional policies are achieving their stated goal of making college more accessible.

But the deeper metrics raise more questions. A working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) tracked application and enrollment changes across 2018‑21 and found that while applications from underrepresented students increased under test-optional policies, enrollment patterns at highly selective colleges showed little change.

In fact, many schools whose policies were officially “optional” indicate high rates of test‑score submission by admitted students. For example, when announcing the decision to shift from a test-optional policy to a test-required policy, Harvard noted that the “majority of undergraduates entering Harvard [under the test-optional policy] submitted standardized test scores.”

Indeed, the influence of the test-optional movement seems to have reached its limits: the percentage of applicants submitting test scores grew by 12% last year, compared to just 1% for applicants choosing not to report scores.

Equity & Opportunity: Who’s Left Behind?

One of the main reasons given for the shift to test-optional policies is equity: the idea that standardized testing disadvantages students from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds. After all, students from high-income families are far more likely to have access to formal test prep, private tutoring, and multiple test sittings.

Yet research has shown that test-optional policies alone have not significantly changed the demographic composition of college classes. Removing the test didn’t remove inequality.

If anything, the script has flipped: elite institutions have cited testing as a fairness measure. Brown, Harvard, Dartmouth, and MIT all cited evidence showing that test scores can help identify talented low-income students who might otherwise be overlooked.

Who Gains? Colleges Do

While test-optional has long been promoted as an equity initiative, research shows that colleges themselves often benefit significantly from such policies in terms of rankings and reputation.

When schools make testing optional, applications often surge:

• A study of 99 institutions that went test-optional between 2005 and 2016 found a 6-10% increase in applications with no corresponding increase in class size.
• During the pandemic years, Common App data showed record-high applicant volumes following the widespread adoption of test-optional policies; Boston University’s applications jumped 24%, and Colgate University nearly doubled its applicant pool.

Why do application volumes matter? Because rising application volumes lead to low acceptance rates, and acceptance rates are a core college ranking metric. A lower admit rate feeds directly into rankings formulae for publications like U.S. News or Forbes. This is one reason why the first schools to revert back to test-required policies have been among the nation’s most selective: schools like Harvard or Stanford don’t need to boost their application volumes to remain competitive.

A larger applicant pool also gives enrollment offices more flexibility to shape the class, making them better able to meet goals regarding demography, geography, or tuition yield. In short, colleges sometimes have a lot to gain from remaining test-optional, even when the educational benefits are ambiguous.

What Parents and Students Should Take Away

Here’s how families should interpret and act on this environment:

1. Don’t assume “optional” means “don’t do it.” If a student has a competitive score (for example, at or above the 75th percentile for admitted students at a target school), submitting it may still boost the application.
2. Evaluate each college’s policy carefully. “Test‑optional” means different things at different schools. Some truly disregard scores; others only treat them as additional context. For example, NACAC notes wide variation in institutional approaches.
3. Focus on overall profile strength—grades, activities, essays. With fewer test scores acting as a filter, institutions increasingly lean on GPA, course rigor, essays, extracurriculars and “fit.”
4. If the test will stress you out or isn’t likely to help, you might skip it—but not without consulting a counselor. Consider including an “Additional Information” statement explaining the circumstances if you choose non‑submission.
5. Plan early, regardless of test decision. Even at a test‑optional school, applications still require planning: coursework rigor, grade improvements, activities, and essays. Test strategy should complement—not replace—that foundation.

The current admissions environment invites more choice, but with that comes more nuance. Families who treat test strategy as a conscious decision—rather than a default—are better positioned to make it work.