In recent years, universities across the country have implemented test-optional or test-free policies in their applications. According to Fair Test, there are over 2,085 accredited Bachelor’s degree colleges and universities with ACT/SAT optional or test-free admissions policies for the Fall 2026 application cycle. Junior Hattie Young discussed her perspective on standardized testing.
“I think everyone has the same resources [for standardized tests], but then it’s not a true measure of intelligence because everyone’s brains work differently, and some people’s brains work in that high-stakes assessment way, and some people don’t and it’s not a true measure of intelligence,” Young said.
According to the Intercultural Development Research Association, high-stakes tests are not fair to all students and are damaging to individual students as well as education. Senior Nathan Shultz expressed a similar idea.
“A lot of students struggle with high stakes testing, and allowing them to show other examples of their intelligence would help more students get into colleges that would otherwise be rejected,” Shultz said.
Students who don’t test well may be more inclined to apply to schools where the application playing field is more level, without the requirement of standardized test scores. According to Staff Reporter Sarah Wood of U.S. News and World Report, test-optional policies have led to an increase in applications in many cases. As mentioned by the director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Connecticut, Vern Granger, in “Education Week”, test-optional policies have led to a more diverse applicant pool, leading to a more diverse enrollment and they haven’t seen any drops in student performance.
“I think [test optional policies] makes [applying to college] less stressful. I think it allows me to show who I am as a student instead of just the one number I got on the one test,” Shultz said.
On the other hand, standardized tests may be helpful in some students’ application process.
“I hope to go to a more competitive college, and so in order to get into one of those, I’m going to have to apply with high-stakes assessment scores,” Young said.
Additionally, many schools take a holistic approach to reviewing applications rather than just looking at test scores.
“I think [test scores and GPA] work in conjunction with each other, where the test scores highlight… the extracurriculars do have a large effect,” Young said.
Additionally, Young added that extracurricular activities are more impactful with test scores because many students do extracurriculars.
“Cause lots of people do lots of extracurriculars, and while they can set you apart, I think both together can be more powerful,” Young said.
