Top Tier Admissions

JUNE 4, 2024

In this ever-changing college admissions landscape, the role of standardized testing remains a hot topic (and source of confusion). Understanding how these tests fit into the broader admissions process can help demystify their purpose and highlight strategies you can use to enhance your applications.

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The Koppelman Group

MARCH 25, 2025

Brown is interesting because in 2023, they decided to form a committee to determine if they should make changes to Early Decision, testing policies, and legacy admissions. The vast majority of admitted students for the Class of 2028 got higher than a 1500 or a 35 on their standardized tests, which means you should too.

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Top Tier Admissions

DECEMBER 23, 2024

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently highlighted the universitys automatic-admit policy, viewed as an affirmative action alternative but also a major factor in UT Austins increasing selectivity. SAT Tutoring Expert one-on-one guidance to boost your score. This decision will be communicated to applicants by January 15.

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Admissions Village

JUNE 19, 2024

High School Profile: A document supplied by high schools to colleges that summarizes the school’s grading system, course offerings, standardized test score ranges, and other important data. Test Optiona l: A policy adopted by some colleges where submitting SAT or ACT scores is not mandatory.

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Top Tier Admissions

APRIL 23, 2024

Cornell will reintroduce standardized testing requirements for undergraduate admissions starting in fall 2026, based on findings from a university Task Force on Standardized Testing in Admissions and pressure from peer institutions. Brooks School of Public Policy, and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations).

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BestColleges

AUGUST 27, 2024

Johns Hopkins University has reinstated standardized test requirements. Hopkins says test scores more accurately predict academic success and enable disadvantaged students to demonstrate their potential. The decision follows similar policy changes at Ivy League colleges.

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Top Tier Admissions

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

As of this morning, Yale is the second Ivy League school to require standardized test scores, following Dartmouth’s lead and citing research that test-optional policies adversely affect high-scoring low-income students. This new policy will begin with students applying to enter in the fall of 2025.

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Top Tier Admissions

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

The landscape of college admissions continues to shift as universities re-evaluate the role of standardized testing in the application process. In a major policy change, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) has announced that it will reinstate its standardized testing requirement for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle.

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AdmissionSight

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

won’t require standardized test scores. The rise of the best test optional colleges is changing the game, giving students new ways to stand out in the admissions process. If you have test anxiety, decided to skip the SAT or ACT, or didn’t quite hit the scores you hoped for, you’re not out of luck.

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Testing Standardized Testing SAT Policies 52

Peterson's Blog

JANUARY 7, 2025

Standardized test scores, like the SAT and ACT, determine academic readiness and skills for entering university. While it may be beneficial to take both tests, this blog will answer the question, “Do you need both ACT and SAT for college? While both are standardized tests, there are a few key differences between them.

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Berkeley² Academy

MARCH 8, 2025

Changes to standardized testing requirements Some colleges that have maintained test-optional policies include Princeton, the University of Maryland, and Texas A&M. However, many of the most competitive schoolsincluding Caltech, Stanford, and Cornellhave reinstated testing requirements.

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Top Tier Admissions

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

These were the first applicants to apply under Yales new test-flexible policy which requires at least one ACT, SAT, AP, or IB set of test scores. The Class of 2029 saw a 14% decrease in early applications, likely due to the implementation of the new testing policy. Looking to raise your standardized testing scores?

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Acceptance Ivy League Standardized Testing SAT 81

Top Tier Admissions

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Transfer students may still take advantage of a test-optional policy. Applicants to the Class of 2029 will need to submit an SAT or ACT score although there are some exceptions for those unable to take these exams. SAT Tutoring Expert one-on-one guidance to boost your score. Interested in reading more about Brown?

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AdmissionSight

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

For Fall 2025 applicants, Cornell remains test-optional, giving students the choice to submit SAT or ACT scores. However, this policy will change for Fall 2026 admissions, when standardized test scores will once again be required. Understanding Cornells shifting test policies is crucial for applicants.

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Top Tier Admissions

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Renewed Interest in Test Scores For the first time since 2021, more applicants submitted test scores than did not, despite widespread test-optional policies. This trend signals a growing perception of the value of standardized testing, as students aim to bolster their applications.

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Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 24, 2025

The number of early applications received fell by over 1,000, likely due to the announcement last year that Brown would once again require applicants to submit standardized test scores. This surge is likely on account of a brand new need-blind review policy for international students. Try Application Boot Camp.

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Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 17, 2025

ENROLL NOW TTA Top Tip: Despite Duke University being test-optional, we strongly encourage our students to prepare for and take standardized tests whenever possible due to the ever-changing attitude of selective institutions towards standardized testing policies.

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Spark Admissions

APRIL 11, 2023

According to Columbia, this move was prompted by a growing recognition of the flaws in standardized testing and the school’s desire to make the admissions process more equitable and accessible to a broader range of students. For decades, standardized tests have been central to the college admissions process.

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Spark Admissions

APRIL 11, 2023

According to Columbia, this move was prompted by a growing recognition of the flaws in standardized testing and the school’s desire to make the admissions process more equitable and accessible to a broader range of students. For decades, standardized tests have been central to the college admissions process.

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College Kickstart

APRIL 19, 2020

With more colleges shifting to test-optional admissions, we're pleased to introduce two new capabilities in College Kickstart to help you stay on top of the changes and consider when applying test-optional makes sense for you. Active tracking of test-optional schools. Personalized analysis.

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Georgia Tech Admissions Blog

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

I avoid knowing those numbers specifically because they dont really signify much these days; plus I dont want to give the impression that we see prospective students as potential test scores in next years app pool. Fully opposed to testing of any kind? So how are we really using those scores? It depends!

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Peterson's Blog

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Standardized tests, like the SAT and ACT, are used to determine academic readiness and skills for entering university. In this blog, we will cover the current data on scores year after year, factors associated with the changes, and how to best approach these standardized tests in light of recent data.

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Top Tier Admissions

JULY 22, 2024

As the school year approaches, it’s time to finalize your standardized test prep plan and mark your calendar with upcoming SAT and ACT test dates. Not sure which test is your forte? In an ideal world, we recommend beginning one-on-one test prep a few months ahead of your scheduled test date.

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Top Tier Admissions

MARCH 11, 2025

With shifts in policies around admissions practices, standardized testing, and institutional priorities, it can be difficult to determine what still holds weight in the college application process.

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BestColleges

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

The lack of standardized testing places more weight on nonacademic factors like guidance counselor recommendations and nonacademic ratings by admissions officers, which are biased toward higher-income students, according to the study. Students from a U.S.

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BestColleges

JULY 18, 2024

Many colleges and universities went test-optional during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some have recently reinstated standardized testing requirements. The science section requirement is being removed from the ACT, and the test will be shorter to be more flexible and manageable for students. The ACT Education Corp.,

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Admissions Village

FEBRUARY 25, 2024

Both colleges will start their new testing policy with current high school juniors, the university class of 2029. Duke also came out with an announcement this week that said they will no longer assign a numerical score to standardized test scores, SAT or ACT or students’ essays.

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Spark Admissions

JANUARY 28, 2022

When the pandemic began, nearly all colleges and universities in the United States dropped their testing requirements when it became impossible for students in some areas of the country to find a test center and date reliably. Then, as the pandemic continued, many colleges extended their policies for another year or longer.

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Koodoos Learning

OCTOBER 9, 2022

that are now test-optional, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.” Now more than ever, public and private institutions alike are opting for test-optional or test-flexible. Meanwhile, Test-Flexible means that you get to choose which specific scores colleges consider.

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Peterson's Blog

DECEMBER 23, 2024

CLEP and DSST are credit-by-exam tests, meaning that if you show your knowledge of the given subject, you can earn college credit by taking an exam if your university accepts CLEP or DSST for credit. Both exams are standardized tests that measure your knowledge of certain subjects by scoring satisfactorily on the exam.

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Shemmassian Academic Consulting

JULY 9, 2023

This became especially true in 2020, given changes in test administration and colleges’ testing policies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, colleges continue to update their testing requirements, with some extending their test-optional periods and others opting for permanent changes.

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BestColleges

MARCH 8, 2024

Brown becomes the third Ivy League school, following Yale and Dartmouth, to reinstate standardized testing requirements. Brown University has become the latest highly selective institution — and third Ivy, following Dartmouth College and Yale University — to reinstate standardized testing requirements, beginning next fall.

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Spark Admissions

JUNE 9, 2023

In addition to being administered completely digitally, the test will have some new features that could make it a better or worse option for you, particularly in the context of extended test-optional admissions policies. The older paper test took 3 hours to complete, while the new SAT exam takes 2 hours and 14 minutes.

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Admissions Village

APRIL 25, 2023

Part 3: This Process Is Opaque In the first part of this series, we discussed the role that the rise of test-optional (it is now optional to submit standardized test scores, SAT or ACT, at most colleges) has played in opening up the applicant pool to highly selective colleges.

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HelloCollege

JANUARY 16, 2025

In this article, well explore what direct admissions is, how it works, and which colleges are embracing this policy. No Standardized Tests Required Many colleges using direct admissions forgo standardized test requirements, making it easier for students to qualify based on academic performance alone.

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College Wise

JANUARY 29, 2025

As of January 2025, the landscape of standardized testing requirements in college admissions has changed. During the height of COVID-19, many schools released new policies to offer flexibility to students who may have experienced disruptions in taking the SAT or ACT exams.

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Top Tier Admissions

MAY 17, 2024

Yale’s Class of 2028 early acceptance rate was the lowest since Yale adopted its current single-choice non-binding early action policy — 9.02%. Brown University , Harvard University and Cornell University have also shifted their policies to require SAT or ACT scores, as have many other highly selective schools.

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