Test Optional Policy

The University of New Haven does not require students interested in most of our academic programs to submit SAT/ACT scores. As a student-first institution that deeply cares for education to be both personal and pragmatic, the University of New Haven strives to empower students to achieve excellence and success. By having a test optional policy, we want students to determine if their SAT/ACT scores are an accurate representation of their academic ability. If they feel that their SAT/ACT scores are not, they will not be penalized during admission review if they do not submit test scores.

The University of New Haven has a "Do No Harm" policy regarding SAT or ACT scores when reviewing applications. We will only use your submitted SAT or ACT score results if the scores have a positive effect on your admissions decision and/or scholarship. If your SAT or ACT scores would negatively affect your chance of admission and/or scholarship, we will automatically exclude your scores during the review process.

Yes. The University of New Haven requires students to submit SAT/ACT scores when applying to the following program:

Merit scholarships and need-based aid programs are available to all eligible applicants should they meet the appropriate criteria. Merit scholarship awards range from $10,000-$30,000 annually, and 97% of University of New Haven students receive some form of need-based aid.

The potential for increased scholarship opportunities are available to students who submit strong SAT/ACT scores, but all students will be evaluated for scholarships even if they do not submit SAT/ACT scores.

When applying using the Common Application or our UNewHaven Application, there is a section that states, "Please indicate if you would like to have your SAT or ACT scores taken into consideration when your application is reviewed for admission and merit-based scholarships," you may select from the following:

Should You Still Take The SAT Or ACT For "Test Optional" Colleges?

College Admissions Process

Recently, I had a fascinating conversation with a college admissions officer about the massive influx of applicants many "test-optional" colleges and universities are getting. This conversation was based on the fact that many schools loosened their policies for admission during the pandemic when in-person testing was difficult, and those same schools haven't taken steps to bring back former standards since the worst parts of the pandemic came to an end.

According to the admissions expert I spoke to, colleges and universities initially dropped testing requirements to take on a more holistic process to the admissions process. However, schools haven't really done that. Instead, they've simply dropped all testing requirements and continued on with their admissions processes as normal.

The result is that many test-optional schools are seeing 2X to 4X the number of applicants but don't necessarily have enough staff members to process them. Some applications are getting approved that shouldn't be as a result, and schools can't really walk back acceptance after it's offered.

All of this made me wonder if students should be leary of applying to test-optional colleges and universities right now. And if they do decide to apply, should they still go ahead with the SAT or the ACT?

I reached out to some higher education experts to get their thoughts on the matter, and here's what they said:

There are several reasons you should still take the SAT, the ACT or both before you apply for college, depending on who you ask, and all the experts I spoke to agreed that testing is still a good move overall. According to higher education and standardized testing expert Brian Galvin at Varsity Tutors, the first reason to test, no matter what, is the fact you may get a high enough score to get you a leg up in the admissions process.

"Even at test-optional schools, the trend remains that students with higher test scores are admitted at higher rates than those without them," he said.

Galvin also says it's important to know the difference between "test-optional" schools and institutions that are "test blind." Test-blind schools, like those in the University of California system, means that schools won’t look at standardized test scores. However, “test-optional” is different because it means schools don’t require you to submit them but can still take them into consideration in the approval process.

"When a school says that it's test-optional, the subtext says high scores are still preferred," said Galvin.

Dr. Robert Kohen of Kohen Educational Services agrees that a strong score can help strengthen a student's college application. In addition, he adds that some schools may award more merit aid to students with higher scores on standardized tests.

Admit rates for students who submit SAT or ACT scores also tend to be significantly higher (sometimes by twice as much or more) than for non-submitters at certain colleges, he said.

"While some of this is attributable to submitters presenting stronger applications to begin with, many college programs, especially highly selective ones and many in STEM fields like engineering, value and prefer to see test scores."

Alyse Levine of Premium Prep College Counseling adds that it makes sense to take the SAT or the ACT even if you're planning to apply to a test-optional school since "it cannot hurt you." After all, you can always withhold scores that come in lower than you wished, or you can use a high score you receive to bolster your college application.

Either way, it’s best to take the test and try your best.

"Many selective colleges are still admitting a larger percentage of students who submit test scores," noted Levine.

Harvard alum Karina Yamamoto of Your Admissions Advisor also adds that certain types of students should probably take the SAT, the ACT or both no matter what. For example, international students should take standardized tests to give American colleges and universities an understanding of their academic qualifications. This can help with admissions since American schools may or may not understand the educational system in their home country or how it works.

Students who don't have high grades should also take standardized tests, she said.

"Getting a high score on the SAT or ACT signals the prospective school of your intellectual vitality and that you are academically competent to get admitted and succeed in college-level classes," said Yamamoto. "Some students excel in standardized testing and may use strong scores to offset other aspects of their application."

While schools with test-optional policies may be overwhelmed with applications right now, it shouldn't scare you off from applying to the college you want to attend. You can still apply to these schools and submit your SAT and ACT scores for consideration, as we mentioned already, and having a high score can help you stand out in a sea of applicants who didn't participate in standardized testing.

The fact institutions dropped testing requirements before or during the pandemic won't impact educational quality, and it's really up to the student to get the most out of their college experience regardless of the factors that led to their admission

Pierre Huguet, who serves as CEO of H&C Education, adds that many schools may be keeping their test-optional policies for reasons that have nothing to do with educational quality anyway. For example, he says that dropping the test requirement may have raised schools' average SAT and ACT scores among those who submitted them since applicants with low scores probably skipped that step.

Schools may also bet that not requiring standardized test scores will attract more applicants (a trend many are seeing).

"More applicants for the same number of spots means lower acceptance rates, which makes a college appear more competitive," said Huguet.

At the end of the day, higher education institutions will make decisions to benefit themselves like they always have. You can do the same by taking the SAT or the ACT, regardless of what schools require.

Solid scores on standardized tests help you stand out among other applicants vying for the same spots at schools and can lead to more merit aid, too. Taking the SAT or the ACT can help high school students get into the right mindset for college success.