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AS COLLEGES continue to evaluate the value of standardized testing scores in determining an applicant's school fit and likelihood for success , test optional policies are becoming more and more common. While a number of schools, including "highly selectives" such as Bates and Wake Forest have been test optional for years, the broader adoption of such policies has greatly accelerated with the onset of COVID and the attending challenges in sitting for the SAT or ACT. Test-optional colleges declare if a student has a test score in hand, it will fully be the applicant's choice to submit or omit scores as part of their application. 

A new flavor of test optional

A growing group of colleges has taken the "test optional" philosophy a little farther by completely removing the testing requirement for applicants.  With more schools becoming focused on an applicant's track record of academic achievement and extracurricular involvements and less reliant on standardized testing as evidence of college readiness, a few have made it their policy to completely disregard the SAT or ACT at the time of application review.

These schools have adopted an admissions policy that is "test blind, test free or score free."

Without the SAT or ACT, then what?

Without standardized test scores to lean into, colleges will place greater focus on students' high school experience, reading for: 

- curriculum rigor and grades earned

- consistency of grades supported by an upward trend

- a full and challenging senior schedule of courses

- involvement in school, community or individual pursuits outside of the classroom

- a student's personal characteristics or unique perspective

- sense of fit with the mission of a college

- class rank, if provided

Which colleges are test blind or score free?

Colleges may focus their test-free application evaluations according to different parameters.   A few examples can be found through schools such as The University of Washington - Seattle and Worcester Polytechnic (WPI) or Dickinson. At this time, note that some of the test-blind schools have completely removed the testing requirement from all future applications, while others are piloting this new approach for one or more admissions cycles to evaluate how well the shift predicts students' performance and success at their institutions.

For an up-to-date listing of non-test focused colleges the go-to resource is The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, known informally as Fair Test.  Fair Test frequently issues updates in the test optional (or test-free) world. As of this writing, the group of "test-free" or "score-free" colleges can be found here.