Navigating College Admissions: Understanding ACT Score Policies and Test-Optional Trends

The ACT has long been a key component of college applications, serving as an indicator of a student's academic readiness. However, the landscape of standardized testing in college admissions is evolving. Many colleges are moving away from a heavy reliance on standardized tests, while the ACT itself is undergoing changes. Understanding these shifts, along with individual college policies, is crucial for students navigating the application process.

The Changing Landscape of Standardized Testing

Some colleges are making the move away from standardized testing, placing less weight on these scores in admissions. This shift has led to an increase in test-optional policies, where submitting ACT or SAT scores is not required, though in most cases it is still recommended.

Test-Optional Policies: A Growing Trend

Many institutions have adopted test-optional policies. Here are some examples of colleges with test-optional policies:

Bowdoin College
Colby College
Barnard College (Temporary)
Middlebury College (Temporary)
Washington University in St. Louis (Temporary)
Haverford College
Bates College
Davidson College
Hamilton College
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill*
Wesleyan University
Colorado College
Vassar College
Rhode Island School of Design
Smith College
Skidmore College
Pitzer College (Temporary)
Franklin and Marshall College
Macalester College
Bucknell University (Temporary)
Bryn Mawr College
Mount Holyoke College
Whitman College
Gettysburg College
Clark University
Brandeis University
North Carolina State University-Raleigh*
Emerson College
Southwestern University
Union College (NY)
Truman State University*
George Washington University*
Rollins College
Stevens Institute of Technology (Temporary)
St. Olaf College
St. John's College-Annapolis
Sewanee: University of the South
Baylor University (Temporary)
St. Lawrence University
Allegheny College
Baldwin Wallace University
Lake Forest College
Washington College
DePauw University
John Brown University
Hendrix College
Agnes Scott College
The College of New Jersey* (Temporary)
Augustana College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Temporary)
Yeshiva University*
Drake University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
University of North Carolina-Wilmington*
Marist College
Chapman University
Abilene Christian University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
Elon University*
Rochester Institute of Technology
St. University of North Georgia* (Temporary)
Hofstra University
Presbyterian College (SC)
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Ithaca College
University of Hawai'i at MƒÅnoa
Knox College
University of North Texas*
University of Puget Sound
Earlham College
Taylor University
Elmhurst College
University of Houston*
Oklahoma State University
Loyola University Maryland
California Lutheran University
DePaul University
Quinnipiac University
University of Missouri* (Temporary)
University of Nebraska-Lincoln*

Note: An asterisk indicates that there may be specific requirements or exceptions to the test-optional policy, or that the policy is temporary. For example, institutions within the UNC System require students to submit SAT or ACT scores. Always verify the most up-to-date information on the institution's website.

Colleges Still Requiring ACT Scores

Despite the growing trend of test-optional policies, some colleges still require or strongly recommend the submission of ACT scores. These institutions often view the ACT as a valuable tool for assessing a student's readiness for college-level work.

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Here are some examples of colleges that require ACT scores:

California Institute of Technology
Harvard College
Yale University
Brown University
Dartmouth College
Cornell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Georgetown University
The Cooper Union
University of Central Florida
Auburn University
Purdue University-West Lafayette
Florida International
Gallaudet University
Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge
University of Alabama
Thomas Aquinas College

Changes to the ACT Exam

As we move into the 2025 testing season, the ACT itself is also undergoing notable changes. The ACT has transitioned to a new “Enhanced” format with a shorter duration, fewer questions, and an optional ACT Science section. This new format became available for digital administrations in April 2025, while the paper version adopted these changes with the September 2025 exam.

The new ACT Composite will average the English, Math, and Reading scores, dropping Science from that important overall score. Despite not being required, the Science section is a recommended addition to many students’ college admissions testing.

Understanding ACT Score Policies

For students who choose to submit ACT scores, understanding the score policies of different colleges is essential. Colleges may have different requirements regarding which scores to send and how they use those scores in the admissions process.

Sending All Scores: A Request from Some Colleges

Some colleges request that a student’s entire testing history be sent to them, regardless of which sitting produces the highest score. They simply want to see all of your SAT and ACT scores.

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Examples of colleges that want all ACT scores sent to them include:

College of St.

These colleges may be interested in seeing a student's progress over time or in evaluating the consistency of their performance.

The Concept of Superscoring

Almost all of the schools listed above state that their primary interest is in the highest ACT scores you achieved, as many of them are creating a “superscore” from your best performances. A superscore is when a college takes the highest score from each subsection, even if those scores come from different test dates, to calculate a new score using your best performances.

Sending all test scores allows colleges to create a superscore, potentially boosting an applicant's overall score.

Middle 50% and What It Means

One of the main metrics used for determining the ACT score needed to gain admission into a college is the middle 50%-colleges also sometimes call this reporting the 25th through 75th percentile. The middle 50% simply tells you what the bulk of admitted students scored on their ACT.

ACT Science Section: Required vs. Optional

When you apply to schools, you’ll notice a lot of optional fields for your academic and personal achievements. It may not be mandatory to list any information for AP scores or extracurricular activities, but such additions make your application much more competitive. Similarly, when you submit ACT scores to schools, the ACT Science section can make your application even stronger, even if it’s not required. It’s a good idea to check every box!

At a few notable colleges, ACT Science is still required as part of submitting ACT scores. Naval and Air Force Academies have all made Science a mandatory addition to ACT scores. Other schools, such as Duke and Johns Hopkins, don’t require an ACT Science score but recommend it; for these schools, applicants should consider the Science section to be necessary.

How the ACT Science Section Affects Your Test Prep Strategy

For students who have chosen to take the ACT, the inclusion of the ACT Science section will have a significant impact on their prep timelines, so this decision should be made at the start of their test prep planning. To achieve a strong score on the ACT Science section, you’ll need to learn strategies for data analysis and pacing, how scientific experiments are designed, and some general science knowledge. All of this learning takes time! In short, deciding between ACT with or without Science may depend on your comfort level and time available for prep.

Note that any school requiring or suggesting the inclusion of ACT Science will also accept the SAT with no additional scores. If you don’t have a strong preference for which test to take, and if your goal schools require or recommend ACT Science, you may simplify your test prep by choosing the SAT instead, as it has fewer topics to study.

The Impact of Low Scores

Colleges wouldn’t ask to see all your ACT scores if they weren’t interested in the low scores as well. It’s unlikely that a low ACT score will dramatically affect your odds of getting accepted into a college if you’ve only taken the exam two or three times. With that said, it’s still in your best interest to try to perform your best, as dramatic variances between scores can lead admissions officers to wonder about your academic aptitude and weaken your application’s strength.

If there is a good reason for a poor ACT score-for example, you were recovering from a concussion-many college applications have space to explain such occurrences.

Strategies for Improving Your ACT Score

There are a number of ways to approach improving your ACT score. If you’re unsure whether the ACT or the SAT is your stronger test.

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