Selecting Colleges
Test-Optional Colleges: Should You Apply Without SAT or ACT Scores?
Testing formats and college test policies in this article were checked in October 2026 for students applying in the 2026–27 cycle. Colleges change these policies often, so confirm each college’s current policy on its own admissions website.
Standardized tests have been a part of the college application process for decades. During this time people have pointed out that they can be unfair and may not be reflective of an applicant's potential in college. For these reasons, many colleges have become test optional, meaning applicants may choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Some students work very hard and still may not be able to get the test scores they want or need. This can be a very frustrating situation because colleges that require or consider scores may weigh them heavily, and low scores can have a significant negative impact on admissions chances, although tests are not the only or most important factor. For individuals in this circumstance, applying to test optional colleges could be a great idea.
Some highly selective colleges remain test optional. For instance, the University of Chicago says submitting an SAT or ACT is optional and follows a “No Harm” policy, considering a submitted score only if it helps the applicant. Without a test score, though, the rest of the application carries more weight, so students should demonstrate promise and potential in other ways, such as an extracurricular spike. Not all colleges expect something in place of test scores, although there may be more pressure to deliver something else in the application that is compelling.
In Florida, Rollins College is test optional as well as Stetson University. These are also options for students looking for test optional colleges. There are also many other colleges across the country with test optional policies. Florida’s public universities, however, require an SAT, ACT or CLT score from first-year applicants.
For some students, test optional applications are the way to go; however, this does not mean that all students should try to avoid studying for the SAT or ACT. In recent years, a number of highly selective colleges, including MIT, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and Caltech, have gone back to requiring SAT or ACT scores, as have some public universities, such as the University of Texas at Austin. Test policies change, so check each college’s admissions website for the year you apply. If students simply avoid the SAT or ACT, they are limiting their future options.