As high school seniors prepare to submit their college applications this fall, students will choose whether or not to submit standardized test scores. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools and universities adopted the practice of allowing students to apply without submitting test scores. However, in an ever evolving college admission process, some universities are beginning to reinstate requiring standardized test scores, according to The New York Times.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 81 percent of all colleges and universities made the decision to eliminate standardized testing requirements, according to washingtonexaminer.com. Additionally, numerous analysts filed complaints on inequality of SAT and ACT test-taking. In fact, students in wealthier neighborhoods have accessibility to extra tutoring, causing them to achieve higher exam scores, according to The New York Times. Students who are of a lower income may not have had the possibility of using extra tools to prepare for the exam, ultimately causing an unfair advantage. Mrs. Alycia Crane, Co-Director of College Counseling, commented on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on standardized testing requirements and why universities decided to make this switch.
“The pandemic changed an awful lot, and before that time, there were actually a good number of colleges that were test optional because they felt as if the testing didn’t really contribute too much to the application,” Mrs. Crane said.
Nonetheless, for those applying to enroll in the fall of 2025, many higher education institutions plan to require test scores. For example, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Brown University, Yale University, Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, Purdue University, California Institute of Technology, and the University of Texas at Austin, all are returning to the admission style of requiring test scores this application season. Other colleges will follow in these institutions’ footsteps for those applying to enroll in the fall of 2026, according to The New York Times.
Some college admissions officers believe that standardized exams can help to identify which students did not have the opportunity to earn good grades in high school due to financial burdens. Moreover, standardized test scores can also reflect a student’s academic trajectory, according to The New York Times. Mrs. Crane commented on the reasoning behind colleges decision to require test scores.
“They wanted to be able to compare students on an equal footing, and they felt testing was helpful in that matter,” Mrs. Crane said. “A few of the very competitive colleges switched back because they felt as if it was an important part of the application process.”
Featured Image by Bella Boone ’27
