Covid-19 has had a lasting impact on many aspects of our lives. The way we work, the way we learn, and even the way we test have all been affected.

A majority of U.S. universities and colleges have changed their testing requirements for high-school seniors applying for admission in the fall. Typically, juniors across the nation would spend their spring and summer studying hard for the SAT (administered by the CollegeBoard) or the ACT (administered by ACT). Covid-19 threw a wrench in that system when schools and test centers were not able to accommodate the same number of students as the pre-Covid era while maintaining social distancing requirements. As a result, higher education institutions instituted “test optional” or “test blind” policies. 

What does that mean?

A school that is “test optional” offers just that – the option to submit official test scores as part of a student’s application. The thinking behind this was that if a student was not able to secure a seat at a testing center (some centers had their seats run out in minutes), it would not negatively impact their application. They would still be able to apply, but would be evaluated on the other data points in their application, like grades and extracurricular activities. If they could sit the test, then great! Send the scores.

A school that is “test blind” does not accept test scores from any applicant. That means they’ve eliminated test scores as a part of the admissions process – if a student submits them, they won’t even open them. Notably, the University of California system of schools is completely test blind. Some schools viewed this approach as more equitable.

In the aftermath of Covid-19, many of these policies stuck around due to popularity. Test-optional status has encouraged many applicants who may not have had access to the standardized tests or who were simply poor test-takers to apply to top-tier universities. Some schools, such as New York University, have seen nearly double the number of applications in 2022 that they saw in 2019. Most, if not all, schools that adopted new test policies as a result of Covid-19 expressed that they were temporary, and emphasized that they would re-evaluate their policies as the dust settled and things went back to “normal”.

As of 2023, Columbia has announced that its test optional policy is permanent. As with most things higher-ed, the Ivy League leads the way. We expect that test-optional status is here to stay. However, that does not mean that testing is going away. As a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Test optional policies have skewed the data of Freshmen classes to show that admitted students who submit scores have higher SAT and ACT scores on average than the pre-Covid era. This means that students who are being admitted are submitting scores – and they are submitting higher scores than ever before. 

What Juniors can do now is determine which test format is best for them – the SAT or the ACT. There are several distinctions between the tests that can be the difference between a good or a great score. Then, practice, practice, practice. Our test-prep tutors are here to help – and we’re the best of the best. Register for at least two test dates, and leave time to take one more test before the application deadline in the case you still aren’t happy with your score. After sitting the first test, evaluate the score report. Which sections were toughest? Why? How did you feel while taking the test? Did you feel time pressure? Did you know how to tackle the math questions?

When application season comes around, remember that a great score is better than a good score, a good score is better than no score, and no score at all is better than a poor score.