Testing requirements differ by college, entry year and applicant type. Start with dated official checks, then verify the requirements that apply to you.
Build a college shortlist6 dated official policy checks show why a stored test-optional label needs verification. For example, see Harvard, MIT and Rice below. Historical campus figures, according to federal IPEDS and College Scorecard records, are not personal admission odds.
Confirm the entry year, domestic or international applicant rules, intended major, scholarship requirements and any English-proficiency testing separately.
Sources checked 2026-09-09 (UTC). Each note identifies its applicant scope and any entry year stated by the institution. A check date does not make an undated policy valid for every future application cycle.
| College | Policy, scope and official sources |
|---|---|
| Harvard University | At the official source check on 2026-09-09 (UTC): Harvard requires SAT or ACT scores. Specified alternative qualifications can satisfy the requirement when those tests are inaccessible in exceptional circumstances. First-year domestic and international applicants. The requirements page does not specify a policy effective year. Policies can change; confirm the linked requirements before applying. |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | At the official source check on 2026-09-09 (UTC): MIT requires SAT or ACT scores for first-year admission. ACT writing/science and the SAT optional essay are not required. First-year applicants. The requirements page does not specify a policy effective year. Policies can change; confirm the linked requirements before applying. |
| Rice University | At the official source check on 2026-09-09 (UTC): Rice recommends SAT or ACT scores if available. Applicants who cannot submit or prefer not to submit receive full consideration. Domestic first-year applicants. The page refers to the 2026–2027 application cycle; the testing paragraph has no separate effective-year label. Check international requirements separately. Policies can change; confirm the linked requirements before applying. |
| The University of Texas at Austin | At the official source check on 2026-09-09 (UTC): UT Austin requires an official SAT or ACT score; its first-year page also accepts an official Classic Learning Test (CLT) score to satisfy this requirement. Domestic first-year applicants, including students graduating from Texas high schools as defined on the source page. The page includes the 2026–27 application context; check international requirements separately. Policies can change; confirm the linked requirements before applying. |
| University of California-Berkeley | At the official source check on 2026-09-09 (UTC): UC Berkeley does not use SAT or ACT for admission or scholarship selection. Separate English-proficiency, eligibility and placement requirements can still apply. First-year admission. UC explicitly confirms no testing-policy change for fall 2027 applicants; its review leaves fall 2028 undecided. Policies can change; confirm the linked requirements before applying. |
| University of California-Los Angeles | At the official source check on 2026-09-09 (UTC): UCLA does not consider SAT or ACT for admission or scholarships. Submitted scores may have separate eligibility or placement uses. First-year admission. UC explicitly confirms no testing-policy change for fall 2027 applicants; its review leaves fall 2028 undecided. Policies can change; confirm the linked requirements before applying. UCLA first-year requirements · UC statement covering fall 2027 |
First confirm that your application can be reviewed without them. Where submission is optional, read the institution's advice and consider your academic record and circumstances. Historical score percentiles do not establish whether submitting a score will help.
IPEDS SAT/ACT ranges describe enrolled first-time students in the reported score cohort, including students whose scores were used in admission. They do not describe every applicant or everyone offered admission. A missing score range is missing evidence, not a reason to infer a policy.
Read the limits of our planning estimates and check data definitions and reporting limitations.
These colleges have stored optional, blind, free or flexible testing flags. This is not a verified current-cycle list: individual flags lack verification dates and may conflict with the official checks above. Follow each profile to confirm current institutional requirements. The acceptance rates describe historical campus cohorts.
Data from IPEDS & College Scorecard. Browse all 3,500+ universities →
No. The candidate table uses historical flags without per-record verification dates. The six official policy checks above have a fixed check date and explicit applicant scopes. Confirm your entry year and requirements on the institution's website; a stored flag is not proof that testing is optional.
Confirm that submission is optional for your applicant type, major and scholarships. Then read the institution's advice. Historical percentiles summarize an enrolled score cohort and do not establish whether submitting a score will help your application.
No. English proficiency, particular programs, scholarships or placement may have separate requirements. Test-flexible policies may require an alternative qualification. Read the scope of the college's official policy before deciding which results to send.
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