Does the SAT still matter for college applications?

Harland Education

SAT, a dying institute?

There’s no doubt that preparing for the SAT can be the most stressful part of college applications for a majority of international students. However, the last decade has seen a move away from standardized testing by many reputable US colleges, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend. These days, a large (and arguably growing) group of US colleges are offering test-optional entrance pathways for students, meaning that SAT scores at these institutions are no longer a prerequisite for admission. But what does this really mean for international students, and do international students still need to study for the SAT? Before answering these questions, a little background. 


Why the push away from the SAT and standardized testing?

In line with governments’ and learning institutions’ pushes towards improving equality for students, there is a growing list of US colleges that are no longer requiring SAT scores for admission. The reasoning is simple. Despite that the whole point of “standardized” testing like the SAT is to provide equal opportunity for all students, the reality is that students who achieve in this test often do so by a combination of natural ability and test-taking skills. In practice, this means that students can boost their potential score through tutoring from an experienced teacher who can hone in and correct the student's key weaknesses, whilst teaching them a variety of techniques that will ensure they can maximize their potential score in the exam. But this level of personalized tutoring is rarely cheap, which is exactly why students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds tend to post lower SAT scores on average compared to their higher-socio economic peers. Thus, there has been a push from the wider US educational community away from solely relying on standardized testing to assess student eligibility. Restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which made it difficult for many students to attend in-class testing

 have only accelerated this movement. 


What are “Test-optional colleges” and should I still submit my SAT score? 

Put simply, “Test-optional colleges” are institutions that don’t penalize applicants for withholding their SAT or ACT scores. It is still possible to submit scores and have them reviewed by these schools, however, whether it is prudent for a student to do this depends on the quality of their SAT score compared to the quality of their school grades. If their grades are higher than their SAT score would suggest, then it would be better for them to simply omit their SAT score (if they have one) and the reverse is true if their SAT score is higher than their grades. 

A few "test-optional colleges," such as Yale, have temporarily halted testing following the COVID-19 crisis. In other cases, like Bard, test scores are no longer required permanently. The movement to test-optional education has been adopted by over 1,800 colleges and universities across the US. 

The following is a list of the top test-optional universities in the US as of late 2022. The list was compiled using data from the 2022 National Center for Open and Fair Testing.



Takeaways for international students: DON’T stop preparing for the SAT  The purpose of test-optional admissions is to encourage a holistic assessment of applicants. However, international students are still strongly encouraged to prepare and take the SAT if possible. The reason is that many top US colleges do not accept grades from certain international schools, especially if they don’t follow an established US curriculum such as the Common Core standards. Even if they do, it is almost always advisable for international students to take the SAT, regardless of whether the college is test-optional. This is true even if the student has great grades, demonstrates leadership in extracurricular activities, and is intellectually curious. Submitting a great SAT score along with evidence of these attributes is just another way to demonstrate the student’s excellence and will therefore only improve their chances of acceptance. Parents of these students should therefore do their best to encourage their children to study and prepare for the SAT. In the case where the student does all they can to prepare and still gets an underwhelming SAT score compared to her grades, then the parents should consult with an academic counselor and find a college that will accept their school’s grades without an SAT score. 


Conclusion The US educational system is moving away from standardized testing as a prerequisite for college admission. However, just because some colleges are now “test-optional”, this does not mean that international students should stop preparing for and taking the SAT. International students must accept that some US colleges will not recognize their school grades as sufficient evidence of their achievements, and even if they do, an exceptional SAT score along with stellar grades is always going to give a student a better chance of demonstrating their excellence than good grades alone. In the unlikely case that a student performs well at school but struggles with the SAT, parents can consider finding a college that is test optional (and which also recognizes their child’s academic history) and omitting their SAT scores. In either case, students in their final years of high school should be preparing for the SAT as soon as possible to maximize their potential score, thereby improving their college entrance options.



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