High School Test-Optional Colleges Newsletter: What Families Need to Know About Changing Admissions Policies

Test-optional admissions may be the most misunderstood development in college admissions in recent memory. Families have heard the phrase, concluded that test scores no longer matter, and in some cases stopped preparing for the SAT or ACT entirely based on that conclusion. Your newsletter exists to give families the full picture, not the simplified version that leads to poor decisions.

What Test-Optional Actually Means

Test-optional means students may apply without submitting a test score and will be considered without one. It does not mean that test scores are irrelevant at every school that has adopted the policy. At many selective colleges that are technically test-optional, a strong test score still strengthens an application by providing additional evidence of academic preparation.

The distinction matters: a student who chooses not to submit because they have a strong score is making a different decision than a student who does not submit because they have a weak one. Admissions readers understand this, and so should families.

The Decision to Submit or Not

Give families a practical framework for deciding whether to submit scores to test-optional schools. The most widely used guideline: submit if your score is at or above the school's reported 50th percentile for enrolled students. Consider carefully if it falls between the 25th and 50th percentile. The case for withholding is strongest when the score is below the 25th percentile.

Also note that the decision can vary by school on the same student's list. A score that strengthens an application at one school may add no value at another where test scores are truly deemphasized. Advise students to make the decision school by school rather than uniformly for all applications.

Test-Free vs. Test-Optional: The Difference

A smaller number of colleges have gone test-blind or test-free, meaning they will not review test scores even if a student submits them. This is a fundamentally different policy than test-optional. Your newsletter should communicate the distinction clearly so families and students do not submit scores to a test-blind school expecting them to be considered.

Keeping Up With a Changing Landscape

Test-optional policies have been in flux since 2020, with some schools extending pilot policies permanently and others reinstating requirements. Your newsletter should acknowledge this landscape and explicitly invite families to check current policies directly with schools on their student's list rather than relying on what they heard two years ago.

Include a note about where to verify current policies: each school's admissions website and the Common Data Set for confirmed enrolled score ranges are the most reliable sources.

The Case for Still Preparing

Even in a predominantly test-optional environment, preparing for the SAT or ACT remains advisable for most college-bound juniors. A strong score opens options, provides evidence for merit scholarship consideration at many schools that retain test-based scholarships, and ensures that the student is not foreclosed from schools that revert to test requirements. Your newsletter can make this case without dismissing the genuine shift in the admissions landscape.