College testing policies are shifting again. Several highly selective colleges — including Cornell, Penn, Harvard, and Georgetown — have moved back to requiring test scores. Many Southern schools are moving in this direction as well. Meanwhile, the University of California and California State University systems remain test-blind, meaning SAT and ACT scores are not used in admissions decisions. The full list of colleges that require the SAT, ACT can be found College Board’s website (see link here).

But the vast majority of colleges now sit in the middle: test optional.

The real question families ask us at StrivePath is:

“Are test-optional schools actually test-optional?”

The answer depends on the data — specifically, a college’s Common Data Set (“CDS”).

Below, we walk through how to evaluate a college’s testing policy, how to tell whether a “test-optional” school actually wants scores, and how to decide whether your student should submit theirs.

How to Tell If a “Test Optional” School Truly Is Test Optional

Every college publishes a Common Data Set each year. This document contains admissions data, academic expectations, and — most importantly for our purposes — how the college actually uses standardized test scores.

To evaluate whether a school is truly test optional, look at two CDS sections:

1. Section C7 — How Important Are Standardized Test Scores?

This table shows whether test scores are:

• Very Important
  
• Important
  
• Considered
  
• Not Considered
  
  

2. Section C9 — What % of Enrolled Students Submitted SAT/ACT Scores?

This is the real indicator. If a large majority of enrolled students submitted scores, then the school expects them — even if they claim otherwise.

Below are three examples which illustrate this.

Example 1: Amherst College — Test Optional? Not Really.

Amherst publicly states it is test optional, but their CDS tells a different story.

• Section C7 shows standardized test scores are rated as “Very Important” — alongside rigor, GPA, essays, extracurriculars, and recommendations.



Source: Amherst 2024 Common Data Set 

• Section C9 shows 61% of enrolled students submitted an SAT or ACT score.

• Source: Amherst 2024 Common Data Set
  
  

When more than half of enrolled students submitted scores, the school is not functionally test optional.

Conclusion: Amherst is test optional in policy, but not in practice.

Example 2: Northwestern University — “Considered,” But…

Northwestern labels SAT/ACT scores as only “considered” on Section C7. That suggests a lighter touch than Amherst.

Source: Northwestern 2024-2025 Common Data Set

But the enrollment data on Section C9 shows:



• Nearly 70% of enrolled students submitted a score.

Source: Northwestern 2024-2025 Common Data Set

Again, the behavior of admitted students contradicts the stated policy.

Conclusion: Northwestern is more flexible than Amherst — but still not truly test optional.

Example 3: Oregon State — A Genuine Test Optional School

Now compare the data for Oregon State:



• Section C7 also “considers” test scores.

Source: Oregon State 2024-2025 Common Data Set

• Section C9 shows that only 14% of enrolled students submitted a score.

Source: Oregon State 2024-2025 Common Data Set

That’s a completely different landscape from Amherst or Northwestern.

Conclusion: Oregon State is truly test optional. Students are not penalized for omitting scores.

The Rule of Thumb: Selectivity Drives Test Expectations

Across the hundreds of schools we’ve analyzed at StrivePath, one pattern is clear:

In most cases, the more selective the college, the less “optional” the SAT/ACT truly is.

At highly selective schools:

• High-performing applicants tend to submit scores.
  
• Lower-scoring applicants tend to omit them.
  
• This drives the reported 25th–75th percentile range higher each year.
  
• Admissions teams know this — and still use the test as a “double check” on academic performance.
  
  

Which brings us to the most common question we get:

Should I Submit My Score If It’s Below the 25th–75th Percentile?

1. For less selective, truly test-optional colleges:

If the % of enrolled students submitting a score is low, then:

• Don’t submit if your score is below the 25th percentile.
• Do submit if your score meets or beats the school’s merit-aid threshold.

At these colleges, standardized testing plays a minor role in admissions but may unlock scholarships.

2. For selective colleges:

The answer becomes more nuanced.

Selective admissions officers use test scores to confirm the academic record, not replace it. 

If:

• the student has a strong transcript,
  
• took the SAT/ACT at least three times,
  
• and followed a structured study plan,
  
  

Then,  we often advise students to submit even if they fall below the 25th percentile.

Why?

Because the 25th–75th percentile ranges are inflated by self-selection. Only students with high scores submit them, pushing the averages up.

Admissions teams understand this dynamic — and often prefer an imperfect score over no score at all.

Final Recommendations

1. Always read the college’s Common Data Set.

Sections C7 and C9 reveal what’s really happening behind the scenes.

2. The more selective the school, the more your SAT/ACT score matters.

Even when they say it’s optional.

3. If you’ve prepared properly and tested three times, consider submitting your score — even if it’s below the published range.

Especially for selective colleges.

Families who follow these principles make far more strategic decisions about whether to submit scores — and give their students the strongest possible application.

Ready to build your student’s plan?

StrivePath offers personalized academic and college advising for Bay Area students from 7th grade through senior year. Book a free consultation with our team today.

👉 mystrivepath.com: StrivePath: Happier students. Less stressed families. Better admission outcomes.