Colleges and Their SAT Requirements

Hey fellas, I'm in the process of shortlisting colleges and most of them have different SAT requirements. How important is meeting these requirements? Is it a major factor in the admission decision?

In the admission process, many colleges define a range of SAT scores that most of their admitted students fall into. Usually, this range constitutes the middle 50% of admitted students' scores. However, by definition, a proportion of students do fall out of this range – both above and below. So while a strong SAT score can definitely bolster your application, it is not the sole deciding factor in admissions decisions.

It is also important to be aware of the Academic Index, a tool selective colleges use to assess the strength of a student’s academic performance, including elements such as SAT/ACT scores, class rank, and GPA. If your Academic Index is too low, your application might not even be fully considered. Crucially, academic strength is typically considered the first hurdle of competitive admission - without it, your other attributes might not even come into play.

It's worth noting that while standardized test scores are an important factor, they're still only part of a holistic review process that increasingly focuses on other attributes. Other factors taken into consideration include GPA, rigor of coursework, letters of rec, extracurricular involvement, and other personal factors like essays.

For the 2024-2025 application cycle, several highly selective colleges, like Princeton, Johns Hopkins, NYU, or UChicago, have chosen to remain test-optional. However, a few notable schools have discontinued their test-optional policies. Schools such as Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, UT Austin, and Caltech will be requiring all applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their application.

In any case, it certainly helps to aim to surpass the median SAT score of accepted students at your chosen colleges to strengthen your application. Remember, though, that colleges look at much more than just your SAT scores when assessing your application.