Lessons from 2024/25 #2: ACT, SAT, and AP Scores

Welcome to the second in a series of updates following this year’s college admissions cycle. Last week, I talked all about how GPAs impact college admissions decisions. If you didn’t catch that one, you can read the full article on GPA here. 

Lesson #2: SAT, ACT, and AP test scores

More schools went back to requiring SAT or ACT tests this past cycle. While that’s an important trend, it masks how much variability there is between colleges when it comes to test scores. It is much more complicated than simply test optional or test required. 

Why are schools going back to test requirements?

After the pandemic a study by John Friedman (Opportunity Insights) looked at test scores, high school GPA, and freshman year college GPA. They found that students with high ACT and SAT scores at IVY+ schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, UPenn, Dartmouth, Columbia, UChicago, Duke, MIT, and Stanford) tend to also have high GPAs their freshman year. Meanwhile, students with lower SAT/ACT scores were five times more likely to struggle. Students that applied test optional had a GPA towards the lower end of the scale.  High school GPA wasn’t directly linked to college GPA!

Clearly, test scores are an important and meaningful data point for colleges.

What is a good score?

I’m going to go into the data and get a little technical below, so read on if you’d like the details! The big take away is - you should report a score that is at or above the 25th percentile of SAT/ACT scores for accepted students.

It’s more important to pass the threshold SAT/ACT score that demonstrates you have the capability to thrive at that given school. Colleges are not prioritizing having a class full of 1600s or 36s. They are using SAT/ACT to gauge this one aspect of academic readiness. Passing the threshold is the key, not having the absolute highest score. 

I recommend reporting anything at or over the 25th percentile of SAT/ACT scores for admitted students. Colleges publish the 25% and 75% scores, and this is one factor included in the US News and World Reports rankings. This means that 25% (or 75%) of the accepted students scored below that value. In the study above, the GPA of test optional students was equivalent to those who had a 1291 SAT. For comparison, the 25% SAT for Brown is 1510, Princeton is 1500, Yale is 1480. 

Be very careful of looking up test scores on third party websites. Much of this data tends to be inaccurate or out of date. The most reliable data will come from the college’s website, The National Center for Education Statistics’ College Navigator, or the college’s Common Data Set (Table C9). 

How important are test scores really?

For schools that require the ACT/SAT, they are of course very important. For other schools, there is a huge variation. 

If you go to table C9 on the Common Data Set, there is a table that lists the percentage of students who submitted SAT and ACT scores. Some students submit both scores, so it’s not possible to determine exactly how many students got in test optional, but it’s a fantastic way to determine how test-optional friendly the school is. Here’s a sample:

Northeastern University (test optional)

Submitting SAT: 24%

Submitting ACT: 7%

Boston University (test optional)

Submitting SAT: 33%

Submitting ACT: 10%

University of Michigan (test optional)

Submitting SAT: 51%

Submitting ACT: 18%

MIT (test required)

Submitting SAT: 83%

Submitting ACT: 31%

You can see that even with schools that are test optional, some schools are admitting many more students without scores than others. 

Test Optional, Test Blind, Test Flexible, Test Recommended, No Harm Test Policy

Recently there has been an explosion in different types of testing policies, so make sure you fully understand the testing policy for each school. Here’s a quick list of terms to help you navigate this complicated landscape!

Test Optional: If you submit a score, it will be used in evaluating your application. If you do not submit a score it shouldn’t be held against you (but as I mentioned above, check how many students are getting in without scores).

Test Blind: SAT/ACT scores are not taken into account for any student (University of California schools).

Test Flexible: Scores are required, but students can choose between submitting SAT, ACT, AP, and IB scores (Yale).

Test Recommended:  Although students can apply without submitting test scores, the school would really like to consider the scores as part of the application. This means you are likely to be disadvantaged without scores (Cornell).

No Harm Test Policy: Schools will only use test scores in their evaluation if they help the student. If the submitted score will negatively impact the application, it’s not considered (University of Chicago). 

What about AP scores?

My suspicion is that grade inflation is the reason that a strong high school GPA doesn’t translate into a high college GPA. If everyone has As, it’s hard to determine who will thrive academically at a challenging college. That means AP scores can help by demonstrating your mastery of the material on a test that is the same for all high school students taking the class. I recommend only submitting strong scores, typically 4s and 5s. If a school offers college credit for a 3, you should also submit those scores. 1s and 2s do not represent mastery of the material, so you should not submit those.

Should I take the ACT or the SAT?

Almost universally, colleges do not have a preference between the ACT and SAT. I recommend taking a diagnostic test (ACT test, SAT test), and focusing all your efforts on the test that you naturally start at a higher score. It will be easier to reach your goal, and you’re not spreading your efforts across two different test structures and styles.

What about the ACT science section?

If you haven’t heard, the ACT science section is optional for the digital test and will be optional for the paper test starting in September 2025. Already some colleges are saying they either require or recommend the science section if you submit the ACT, and others are still determining their policy. So at least for now, take the science section to give yourself the greatest number of options.

What’s your action plan?

• Take an ACT and SAT diagnostic test to make sure you focus your energy on the test that you are already scoring higher on.
• The summer before junior year is a great time to start preparing for the test. You will have all the math required after you finish with Algebra II and Trig.
• Plan to take the test at least two times (unless you hit your target score the first time). Sometimes a student’s score improves on the second attempt simply because they are less nervous and more familiar with the testing routine. 
• Compare your score to the 25th percentile score for admitted students at each school on your list. How much do you need to improve? It’s reasonable to jump 100 points on the SAT and 4 points on the ACT from your initial score with a good program and consistent, strategic practice. 
• Try to finalize your testing by the end of junior year, so you can use the summer and fall to work on applications!
• Having a strong score will give you the most flexibility in applying to college. You can also have great outcomes without a score by focusing on test optional/blind/no harm/flexible schools. With so much variability between colleges, you need to be strategic about your college list. 

Whew that was a lot. Thanks for sticking with me because understanding these topics will give you a competitive edge.

TL;DR: Report your score if it is at or above the 25th percentile mark for accepted students. Understand the testing policies and preferences for each school on your list because they vary significantly from school to school. Focus on the test (ACT or SAT) that aligns with your testing strengths. If you take the ACT, for now, include the optional science section.

🎉🎉🎉 Next week, I’ll be sharing all about a strong narrative and college admissions.

With college admissions, one size does not fit all. If it did, everyone would look the same and no one would stand out! So, if you are looking for personalized guidance in finding your voice and your unique narrative, schedule a free introductory call to see how I can help!

Your Guide,

Dr. Laura Perretta