Hi everyone! I'm part of the class of 2024, and I'm curious about whether SAT scores still matter for college admissions during this application cycle. I know some schools have gone test-optional. Thoughts on this? Any help would be appreciated.
Yes, SAT scores can still matter for the class of 2024, depending on the colleges you're applying to. There has been a significant shift towards test-optional policies for many schools in recent years, but not every school has adopted this approach. Schools such as Columbia, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Chicago are currently test-optional, which means you can still submit your SAT scores if you have them, but they are not required for admission.
However, other highly selective schools like Dartmouth, Harvard, Purdue, Brown, Yale, UT Austin, and Caltech have reverted to their traditional testing policy and now require applicants to submit an SAT or ACT score during the 2024-2025 application cycle. In general, the more selective a school is, the more likely a strong SAT score will help your application.
If you have a competitive SAT score and are applying to test-optional schools, submitting your score can help strengthen your application. Conversely, if your SAT score is not as strong, you may benefit from not submitting it to test-optional colleges. In any case, always check the requirements of each college on your list to determine their specific policy regarding SAT scores and the importance they place on them.
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