Test-Optional Isn’t What It Used to Be: the college admissions landscape is changing—and families need to catch up.

If you’re still approaching the SAT the way you did in 2021, it’s time to rethink your strategy.

During the pandemic, colleges across the country moved quickly to test-optional or test-blind admissions. Families understandably adjusted. The message was simple: The SAT isn’t that important anymore.

But that was then.

The SAT is back on the admissions table.

And this isn’t simply a prediction. Colleges are actively changing their policies.

UT Austin reinstated SAT/ACT requirements after several years of test-optional admissions. Ohio State has reinstated testing for first-year applicants to its Columbus campus. Yale has returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores, and Caltech has also reinstated its testing requirement.

Why?

Because colleges have now had several years to see what happens when standardized testing is removed from the admissions equation.

UT Austin’s own analysis found that standardized-test information provided meaningful information beyond high-school GPA and class rank when predicting first-semester college performance.

That matters.

And the University of California system—one of the most prominent proponents of test-blind admissions—is now facing an increasingly serious conversation about whether standardized testing should return.

Here’s what concerns me.

I see too many families still living by the admissions advice of three or four years ago.

I regularly meet students who are capable of earning strong SAT scores but are putting minimal effort into preparation because they have been told, “It’s test-optional, so it doesn’t really matter.”

It does matter.

Test-optional does not mean test-irrelevant.

A college may not require a score, but a strong score can still provide another objective measure of academic preparation—and at some schools, it may now be required. Testing can also play a role in merit scholarship decisions.

The bigger issue is that the entire admissions landscape is becoming more competitive and more strategic. Colleges are reassessing how they evaluate academic readiness, and many are tightening the ways students can use the early admissions process to their advantage.

I have always believed that there is a college for every student. But that doesn’t mean every student belongs at every college.

Getting into a highly selective university is only half the equation. Being academically prepared to thrive there is just as important.

So don’t panic. But don’t be casual, either.

If your child is in middle school or high school, it’s time to stop asking, “Is the SAT required?”

Start asking:

“What role could testing play in my child’s college strategy?”

The answer will be different for every student. But the one thing I can tell you is this:

The admissions landscape has changed. If you’re still planning according to the rules of 2021, you’re already behind.

Coming Next

If you’ve decided that SAT or ACT preparation deserves a place in your child’s college plan, the next question is an important one:

How do you choose the right tutor?

In Part 2, we’ll share five things every family should look for when choosing an SAT or ACT tutor—and a few things you may not think to ask.

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