SAT/ACT Scores: To Send or Not to Send?

By Lisa Freedland

Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology. Full Bio

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and Savannah Dawson

Prior to coming to Scholarships360 for her first internship in 2022, Savannah utilized her campus publications by joining various fashion publications that are offered at Ohio University. One of those publications is Thread Magazine, where Savannah has had the opportunity to work on articles related to world-wide related fashion news and events, as well as articles closer to home, such as a fashion piece on Athens hometown-hero Joe Burrow. This year, Savannah also had the opportunity to be a content writing intern for Aiken House, as well as a section editor for Southeast Ohio Magazine. In 2023, Savannah served as the Chapter President of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. These collective experiences, as well as her experience currently working for Ohio University’s Undergraduate Admissions, has led her to Scholarships360 and aided in her passion for helping students better understand the college admissions process and financial aid. In her free time, Savannah enjoys horseback riding, watching Formula One races, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. Savannah will graduate from Ohio University in May 2024 with a degree in Journalism News and Information and a certificate in Italian Studies. Full Bio

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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania. Full Bio

Maria Geiger

Updated: July 13th, 2023

“To be, or not to be,” that is the question, right? Perhaps, but if you’re in the process of applying to colleges, “To send, or not to send (your standardized test scores)?” may seem a little more applicable. With more and more schools going “test optional,”, it can be difficult to decide whether or not to send your scores in. So, to make applying to colleges a little easier for you, we’ve compiled a quick list of things to consider when making that choice. Let’s get into it!

Also see: 10 tips to reduce test taking anxiety

What does “test optional” mean?

If a university claims they are “test optional,” applicants can send in their standardized (SAT or ACT) test scores for consideration with their application. However, they are not required to send in their standardized test scores. If scores are not sent, the school simply bases their admission decision off the rest of the application. Test optional schools will not look negatively upon students who choose to not submit test scores. They are “test optional” for a reason, so no need to worry about that. 

So, you now know the basics of “test optional” schools. Perhaps, though, you’ve heard of another, similar term: “test blind.” What does this mean?

“Test optional” vs. “test blind”

While “test optional” schools will allow students to send in standardized test scores, “test blind” universities will not consider test scores for admission purposes. If you send standardized test scores to a test blind school, your scores have no impact on admission. 

Thus, while it is unlikely that a “test blind” school would penalize you for sending in standardized test scores, we recommend not sending your scores. They will not be considered and it’d be a waste of money!

Related: How to improve your SAT score

Research which schools are test-optional

Before we finally get into what factors you should consider when sending in your standardized test scores, there’s one thing you must do before you make this decision. Remember, we forewarn that this may seem quite obvious, but it’s better safe than sorry. 

Before you consider not sending standardized test scores to colleges, research and be 100% sure that those schools are test-optional. If a school turns out to not be test-optional and you don’t send in test scores, your application will be incomplete. Remember to do your research!

Top things to consider before you send a SAT/ACT score

By now, you’ve hopefully done some Googling and you know about what schools on your college list are test-optional, and which aren’t. For those that are test-optional, though, here are some factors to consider when deciding whether or not to send in those standardized test scores:

The competitiveness of the schools you’re applying to

Perhaps the first question you should ask when deciding whether or not to send your scores is, “How competitive are the schools I’m applying to?” While this question may seem somewhat irrelevant at first, it certainly helps to consider the group of applicants you’re applying with. For example, if you’re applying to a school with an acceptance rate of around 30-40%, having stellar grades, extracurriculars, and essays will likely be enough to grant you acceptance – even without standardized test scores.

Competitive schools

On the other hand, if applying to a top or Ivy-League level university, it is likely that the admissions pool is full of many other amazing students. Thus, whether or not you are admitted to such highly competitive schools may come down to the smallest of factors, including standardized test scores. Let’s say that you and another applicant are judged against each other. Both of you have similarly great GPAs, extracurriculars, and essays. In this case, a high SAT or ACT score on top of your application might just give you the extra boost you need for admission. This might be especially true if the other applicant did not send in their scores. Thus, unless you think your score is not necessarily “high” or competitive enough for a school, we recommend sending in standardized test scores to top colleges.

With that said, though, what exactly constitutes a “high” or competitive standardized test score for a particular university? That’s a great question!

Consider your schools’ average scores

Each university has a unique range of SAT and ACT scores that they accept. Usually, you can find what these are by typing “*insert university name* average SAT (or ACT).” What will typically show up is the middle 50% of accepted SAT/ACT scores into that college (think the 25th-75th percentile). If determined to get into a particular school, we highly recommend you aim for a score within this range (and on the higher end, if possible). However, if you received a score below your school’s 25th percentile for either the SAT or ACT, we might recommend not sending this score to test-optional schools – as it may lower your chances of admission.

If you want more information about any college’s accepted applicants average stats (GPA, SAT, etc.), you can also look up “*insert college name* student profile” and try to find the one for the most recent class. This is an example of a class of 2026 student body admissions profile from Boston University, one of many schools that have gone test optional. 

Does your SAT/ACT score complement your GPA?

Another factor to consider is how your standardized test scores compare to your other “stats,” such as GPA. What constitutes a “high” GPA and SAT or ACT score is highly subjective. Therefore, it is a good idea to look at the most recent class profile of the schools you’re applying to. If your GPA and SAT or ACT score are both relatively high in comparison to the class average, then definitely submit those scores! Or, if you find that your GPA is somewhat low, but your standardized test scores are somewhat high, then sending them in could definitely be a boost to your application.

On the other hand, if you find that you have a relatively high GPA but low SAT or ACT score, sending such scores in could potentially lower your chances of admission. If your standardized test score is within the middle 50% range or anywhere above a school’s 25th percentile, you will likely be fine as you have a high GPA. After all, while a GPA represents all the hard work you’ve completed over four years, a standardized test score reflects a few hours within your day. Thus, your GPA definitely does carry more weight than your SAT (for most schools, at least).

Also see: What are my admissions chances? Find out with a Scattergram!

If you have any special circumstances

Some students, like those in athletics or those looking to apply for special scholarships or programs, may find that they are required to send in their standardized test scores to retain eligibility for such activities. Thus, before you decide not to send your scores to colleges, it’s best to make sure you don’t fall into one of these categories beforehand. Let’s take a look.

Athletics

In January 2023, NCAA Divisions I and II adopted legislation to remove standardized test scores from initial-eligibility requirements for all student-athletes who initially enroll full time on or after August 1, 2023. 

Despite this action taken by the NCAA, specific university athletic programs may still require prospective athletes to send in their standardized test scores. According to the NCAA, around 37% of D1 colleges still expect that prospective athletes submit their standardized test scores.

So, if you are a prospective college athlete, we highly recommend reaching out to the coaches of the programs you’re interested in. Find out for sure whether or not you’ll need to send in your standardized test scores. After all, better safe than sorry!

Scholarships or Special Programs

Similarly, specific scholarships or special programs may still necessitate that interested applicants submit their standardized test scores. While some universities have started awarding merit aid to students without requiring SAT or ACT scores, this is not the case for all colleges. So, if you’re planning on applying to any scholarships, special programs, or anything else of the sort at your university, your best bet is to check the policy on every application. 

Advice From a College Access Professional

When advising students I recommend sending in test scores if your scores are at or above the 75th percentile for the college. If your scores are somewhere between the 50th and 75th percentile, you probably should submit the scores. If your scores are at or below the 50th percentile, they are unlikely to help your admissions case (unless there is some other reason you want to submit test scores). One example of this could be if your test scores are not balanced (ie: very high math and very low critical reading scores). If you are going to be applying for an engineering program, you may want to submit those scores as the math score will be of high importance for the admissions committee.

Will Geiger

Scholarships360 Co-Founder

Former Senior Assistant Director Of Admissions at Kenyon College

Final thoughts about whether or not to send in SAT/ACT scores

We’re almost done! However, we know that we just went over a lot. 

So, to sum, here’s when you might want to send your SAT/ACT scores to a school:

• When it is between the 25th and 75th percentile (for SAT/ACT scores) of a school applying to (check the class profile!)
• If applying to a hyper-competitive school where most students likely have stellar GPAs, extracurriculars, and standardized test scores
• If your SAT or ACT score “elevates” your application in that it is “equal to” or surpasses your GPA, AP scores, etc. (based on how your scores compare to those of others)
• If required to send for a specific scholarship or special program (including athletic programs)

Here’s when you might want to consider not sending your SAT/ACT scores:

• If they are below the 25th percentile for the school applying to
• If they do not “elevate” your application and are relatively low in comparison to your GPA, AP scores, etc.

We urge students not to be embarrassed or feel ashamed about not sending their standardized test scores. It is completely normal, and is simply the wise choice sometimes. It also does not reflect badly on you as a student – people perform better in different types of environments. Ultimately, however, no matter whether you decide to send in your test scores or not, we wish you the best of luck with your college applications. Have fun in college!

Don’t miss: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool

Keep reading… 

• What is a high SAT score?
• ACT vs SAT: How to decide which test to take

Frequently asked questions about whether to send ACT/SAT scores