Test-optional policies changed the question from "what score do I need" to "should I send one at all". The second question has a clearer answer than most students expect.
The rule
Find the college's published middle-50-percent range. Then:
- At or above the 75th percentile: submit. Your score is doing work for you.
- Comfortably inside the range: usually submit. A score that matches the class is one fewer thing an admissions officer has to wonder about.
- Below the 25th percentile: generally do not, unless a specific reason below applies.
The awkward middle is just below the 25th percentile, and there the honest answer is that it depends on what else your application has. A score slightly under the range alongside a demanding course load reads differently from the same score alongside an easy one.
Where a score still matters even at test-optional colleges
- Merit scholarships. Many are still score-gated, sometimes with published cutoffs, and this is the most common place students leave money behind.
- Honors colleges and special programs. These frequently keep requirements the main admissions process has dropped.
- Some public university systems have reinstated requirements. Policies have moved in both directions since 2020, so check the current cycle rather than what was true when an older sibling applied.
- Course placement. Scores are often used after admission to place you out of introductory math or writing, which can be worth real time and money.
- Homeschooled or unusual transcripts. Where a school's grading is hard to interpret, a standardised score is one of the few directly comparable data points available.
What "optional" does not mean
It does not mean the college ignores a submitted score. It means a missing score is not counted against you. Those are different, and the difference is why submitting a strong score still helps.
It also does not mean the rest of the application gets easier. When scores come out, weight moves onto grades, rigor, essays and recommendations. Students who skip the test to avoid the work usually find the work reappears somewhere less controllable.
The sensible sequence
- Prepare and sit the test once. Deciding not to submit is a decision you can make later; deciding not to have a score is a door that closes.
- Compare your result against each college's range.
- Submit where it is neutral or better; withhold where it is clearly below.
- Check the scholarship pages separately, because they often use different thresholds from admissions.
You can also submit to some colleges on your list and not others. Students frequently do not realize this is allowed.