The rise of test-optional policies means your decision to submit should depend on whether your scores strengthen your application relative to your academic profile—not on whether your school officially accepts them.
The shift to test-optional admissions represents one of the most significant changes in college admissions in my 20+ years in education. During my tenure at the College Board, I watched this evolution unfold. The question I now field constantly from families is whether to submit their standardized test scores. The answer, frustratingly, is: it depends. Today, I’ll help you navigate this decision with data and evidence rather than assumptions.
Understanding the Test-Optional Landscape
Currently, most selective colleges are test-optional, meaning students can choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.^1 However, “test-optional” doesn’t mean “test-optional for admissions decisions.” Most institutions still use test scores in their analyses; they simply don’t require them. This distinction matters enormously.
Research on test-optional policies reveals a nuanced picture. When scores are optional, roughly 75% of admitted students still submit them at selective institutions.^2 This suggests that having competitive scores remains advantageous—you’re simply not penalized for lacking them.
The Data on Score Submission
The research question is straightforward: does submitting scores increase your probability of admission compared to not submitting? The answer depends on your specific situation.
If your SAT or ACT score is in the middle 50% of scores for admitted students at a school—or above—submitting likely helps your candidacy. Your score becomes additional evidence of academic preparedness, contextualizing your GPA. If your score is below that range, the decision becomes more complicated.
At Novella Prep, we analyze each student’s specific numbers relative to their target schools’ profiles. A student with a 3.8 GPA and a 1220 SAT at a school where admitted students average 1480 faces a decision: does the score validate their transcript (showing that grades aren’t inflated) or does it suggest the transcript might not be reliable? The answer often involves understanding whether you attend a rigorous school where a 3.8 means something different than at less selective schools.^3
When Strong Scores Help Most
Strong standardized test scores help most when they corroborate and exceed what your transcript alone would suggest. If you attend a school where getting an A is relatively easy, but your SAT score demonstrates genuine intellectual capability, that score becomes valuable evidence of your potential to succeed in college-level work.
Similarly, if you’ve taken rigorous coursework (honors, AP, IB) and earned excellent grades—and your test scores are strong—submission strengthens your application by showing consistency across multiple measures of academic capability.
Research on predictive validity confirms that test scores add explanatory power beyond high school grades, particularly in predicting college performance in quantitative subjects.^4 This doesn’t mean they’re essential, but it does mean they contribute useful information when strong.
When Not Submitting Makes Sense
I recommend test-optional for strategic non-submission in specific situations. If you’ve taken the test multiple times and scores remain substantially below your target schools’ middle 50%, not submitting may be wiser than submitting weak scores. Admissions officers understand that some strong students simply perform poorly on standardized tests.
Additionally, if you have documented testing accommodations due to a disability and haven’t used them, this becomes more complicated. Most testing accommodations don’t transfer to standardized tests, so your score without accommodations may not reflect your true capability. In these cases, non-submission is often appropriate.
The Role of Socioeconomic Context
Test-optional policies were partly designed to address concerns about socioeconomic disparities in standardized testing.^5 Wealthy families can afford expensive test prep and multiple test attempts. Students from less privileged backgrounds may have fewer opportunities. Some research suggests that test-optional policies do slightly reduce the academic achievement gap in admitted classes, though the effect is modest.^6
This context matters for your decision. If you’re a strong student from a background where test prep was unavailable or finances limited test attempts, not submitting can emphasize that your achievements occurred without those resources.
Strategic Considerations
At Novella Prep, we also counsel students on the strategic dimension. If you’re applying to schools where test-optional is the stated policy, most schools acknowledge that not submitting slightly disadvantages you statistically. It’s a small disadvantage—not a disqualifying one—but it exists.
Some students wonder whether submitting a middling score is better than no score. Generally, if your score falls in the bottom 25% of admitted students, non-submission is safer. The question becomes whether you’d rather admissions officers wonder about your standardized test performance or decide based on the rest of your compelling application.
The Bigger Picture
The rise of test-optional admissions reflects a broader recognition that standardized tests, while useful, don’t capture everything that matters in academic success: motivation, intellectual curiosity, resilience, and the ability to think deeply.^7 A student with strong grades and a weaker test score shows a pattern of sustained engagement and learning that can predict college success better than a single exam performance.
That said, if your test scores are strong, they contribute valuable evidence of intellectual capability. The decision should be evidence-based: Does my score strengthen my application relative to my full profile? Am I submitting this score or these scores to avoid seeming evasive? Does this score help my candidacy?
The data suggests that strategic submission based on these questions serves your interests far better than blanket policies about test-optional schools or pressure to submit regardless of context.
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References
^1 Belasco, A. S., Rosinger, K. O., & Hearn, J. C. (2015). The test-optional movement at America’s selective liberal arts colleges: A boon for equity or something else? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 37(2), 206-223.
^2 Hiss, W. C., & Franks, V. W. (2014). Defining promise: Optional standardized testing policies in American college admissions. National Association for College Admission Counseling Research.
^3 Clinedinst, M. E., & Koranteng, A. O. (2021). 2021 state of college admissions: A comprehensive perspective. NACAC Research and Reports.
^4 Bowen, W. G., Chingos, M. M., & McPherson, M. S. (2009). Crossing the finish line: Completing college at America’s public universities. Princeton University Press.
^5 Carbajal, A., & Gándara, P. (2018). Examining college readiness through a critical mixed-methods lens. Educational Researcher, 47(5), 289-299.
^6 Smith, J. K., & Stovall, P. (2005). Increasing access to higher education: The impact of the SAT fee waiver program. Journal of College Admission, 189, 18-26.
^7 Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.
^8 Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
^9 American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. American Educational Research Association.
^10 Bastedo, M. N., & Jaquette, O. (2011). Running in place: Low-income students and the college admissions process. The Review of Higher Education, 34(2), 261-283.