Ultimate List of College Admissions Test Requirements

July 31, 2019

Brigitte

As you begin compiling the list of colleges to apply to, it can be hard to keep track of all the different testing requirements for each college.

Some schools require you to submit SAT or ACT scores; others do not. Some colleges require you to take additional SAT Subject tests, depending upon your major; some won’t even look at additional test scores! Plus, what do colleges mean when they say a test is required, recommended, or optional?

Luckily, MEK Review has you covered!

We’ve created a list of over 150 popular colleges and their admission testing requirements in 2019-2020!

Key Terms

Here are several key terms you’ll find in our list:

SAT

Refers to the Scholastic Aptitude Test created by College Board. Accepted by most universities to test college readiness. Over 2.1 million students took this test last year! The test consists of 2 Math sections, 1 Evidence Based Reading section, and 1 Writing Section, plus an optional essay that some colleges require prospective students to take, while some do not. The test is scored from a range of 400-1600.

ACT

The SAT’s twin competitor is another college readiness test that is also accepted by most universities. Last year, 1.9 million students took this exam. The test consists of 1 Math section, 1 Science section, 1 English section, and 1 Reading section, plus an optional essay that some colleges require students to take. The test is scored from a range of 1-36.

SAT Subject

Refers to 20 additional standardized tests by College Board, each of which focus on a specific subject such as Science, Math, English, or Foreign Language. The test is scored in a range of 200-800. Historically, more elite colleges have required or recommended these tests to show a student’s proficiency in a particular area.

Here are the 20 subjects offered:

Math Level 1
Math Level 2
Biology Ecological/Molecular
Chemistry
Physics
U.S. History
World History
Literature
Spanish
Spanish with Listening
French
French with Listening
Chinese with Listening
Italian
German
German with Listening
Modern Hebrew
Latin
Japanese with Listening
Korean with Listening

TOEFL

This test stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language and is designed to test the proficiency of non-English speaking people. It is scored within a range of 0-120.

Many universities require this test and a minimum score for international students. However, for some universities, the TOEFL is only one option of several that an international student can complete to demonstrate fluency in English.

If a school accepts the TOEFL, we listed the minimum score required. Some schools require the test but do not list a minimum score, some colleges only recommend it, and some do not accept it.

If you are not an international student, the TOEFL is not something you need to worry about.

AP

Advanced Placement tests take place at the end of the year, when a student has completed an Advanced Placement course in high school. These tests verify what you have learned and whether you should earn college credit. The AP tests are also often used similarly to SAT Subject tests in that they show your skills and knowledge in a specific subject.

AP tests are scored within a range of 1-5. You must score a minimum of 3 to be considered “college ready” in this subject, although many colleges have even higher standards. In the list below, we only listed AP tests that are required or can be used instead of SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject tests.

Required

If a test is listed as required, that means you MUST take the test and submit your scores for your application to be considered. On our list, the SAT and ACT are listed under one column because almost all schools will accept both, but only require one. Any exceptions are included in this list.

Considered

Admissions officers will factor into their admissions decision any test scores submitted by students, but students are not required to send these tests. In other words, if a test score is listed as “considered”, you only want to take this test and submit your scores if your score is high and can help your admission chances. Low scores could hurt your chances.

Optional

This means that the admissions officers do not care whether students submit scores or not. Many schools have made the SAT Subject test optional as a result of the financial constraints these tests have imposed on families. Some colleges will not even review your scores at all, if received.

Key Admissions Testing Trends

While reviewing the list, consider these interesting trends or patterns.

Less Required Standardized Tests

Over the past three years, there are many schools that have made tests optional. For instance, the University of Chicago and Wesleyan, two very competitive schools, are no longer requiring the submission of any tests. Wake Forest University even refers to standardized tests as “evil”!

SAT Subject Tests

Most schools no longer require or recommend the SAT Subject Tests. However, many of the Ivy Leagues or top 10 universities still recommend two SAT Subject tests. Only 1 school in the United States – Georgetown University – recommends 3 SAT Subject tests for all applicants.

Yet when reviewing the list, make note of special testing requirements listed under Other. Many schools offering 7- or 8-year Accelerated Medical Program or certain highly ranked Engineering or Pre-law programs require students to take specific Subject tests. One interesting requirement for Boston University’s Accelerated Medical Program is the submission of three Subject tests: Math, Chemistry and a Foreign Language Subject test!

Foreign Universities

Most of the colleges listed below are in the United States. However, we’ve also listed a few prominent international universities that have been popular among MEK Review students over the years – McGill in Canada, many United Kingdom schools and Les Roches in Switzerland.

It is interesting to note that universities, primarily in the U.K., do not think highly of U.S. standards in testing. Therefore, instead of the SAT/ACT, UK universities require SAT Subject tests and/or AP tests, with score requirements that are oftentimes beyond a typical U.S. student’s reach.

For instance, Cambridge University requires 5 AP tests with perfect scores of 5 on each test. Please note that Oxford University is in a category of its own and does not value any US standardized tests. Instead, students are asked to take the Oxford entrance examination at any British embassy or consulate.

Self-Reporting Test Scores

About half of the schools on this list now allow students to self-report their test scores on their application. If the student is accepted to one of these schools, he or she will be asked to have College Board or ACT submit the official scores to the admissions office for verification.

College Admission Test Requirements

College	Location	SAT/ACT	SAT Subject	TOEFL
American University	Washington, D.C.	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Amherst College	Amherst, Massachusetts	Required	Considered	minimum 100
Arizona State University	Tempe, Arizona	Required	Optional	minimum 80
Babson University	Wellesley, Massachusetts	Required	Optional	minimum 100
Bard College	Annandale-on-Hudson, New York	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Bates College	Lewistown, Maine	Optional	Optional	Required
Barnard College	New York, New York	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 100
Bentley University	Waltham, Massachusetts	Required	Optional	minimum 90
Boston College	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts	Required	Considered*	minimum 100	*Pure Science, Math, and Foreign Language highly desired
Boston University	Boston, Massachusetts	Required, Essay Optional	Optional	minimum 90	*Accelerated Medical Programs requires Math 2, Chemistry, and Foreign Language
Bowdoin College	Brunswick, Maine	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Brandeis University	Waltham, Massachusetts	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Brown University	Providence, Rhode Island	Required	2 Recommended*	minimum 100	*PLME program requires 2 SAT Subject test, and 1 must be Biology, Chemistry, or Physics
Bryn Mawr College	Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania	Optional for U.S. and Puerto Rico	Considered	minimum 100
Bucknell University	Lewisburg, Pennsylvania	Required	Recommended	minimum 100
California Institute of Technology	Pasadena, California	Required, Essay Optional	2 Required*	minimum 110	Biology, Chemistry or Physics AND Math 2
California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo, California	Required	Useful for STEM majors	minimum 80
California Polytechnic Pomona	Pomona, California	Required	Optional	minimum 71
Cambridge University	Cambridge, ENGLAND	Required	Optional	minimum 110	5 AP test with scores of 5 required
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Required	Required*	minimum 102	*Science, Computer Science, and Engineering majors - Math 2 and 1 Science; Other Majors - Math 2 and 1 Other Subject
Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, Ohio	Required, Essay Optional	Optional	minimum 90
CUNY Baruch	New York, New York	Required	Optional	minimum 80
CUNY Hunter	New York, New York	Required	Optional	Yes, no minimum
CUNY Macauley Honors	New York, New York	Required	Optional	Yes, no minimum
CUNY Queens	Flushing, New York	Required	Considered	Yes, no minimum
CUNY Sophie Davis	New York, New York	Required	Optional	International students not eligible
Claremont McKenna College	Claremont, California	Required, No Essay	Considered	minimum 100
Clark University	Worcester, Massachusetts	Optional	Optional	minimum 85
Colby College	Waterville, Maine	Required	2 Required*	Yes, no minimum
Colgate University	Hamilton, New York	Required	Optional	Yes, no minimum
Columbia University	New York, New York	Required	Considered	minimum 100
Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	Required	Required/Optional*	minimum 100	*Arts & Sciences: 2 SAT Subjects required; Engineering: SAT Subject optional
Dartmouth College	Hanover, New Hampshire	Required	2 Recommended	minimum 100
Drew University	Madison, New Jersey	Optional*	Considered	minimum 80	*SAT/ACT scores required for merit scholarships
Drexel University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Required, No Essay	2 Required*	minimum 100	*SAT Subject: 1 Math/Science; 1 Humanities (Not required for the ACT)
Duke University	Durham, North Carolina	Required	2 Required*	minimum 90	*English: Must take Math 2; any 2 SAT Subjects for all applicants sending SAT
Emory University	Atlanta, Georgia	Required	Recommended	minimum 95
Florida State University	Tallahassee, Florida	Required, No Essay	Optional	minimum 80
Fordham University	New York, New York	Required	Considered	minimum 90
Franklin Olin College of Engineering	Needham, Massachusetts	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	Optional
George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia	Required	Considered	minimum 80
George Washington University	Washington, D.C.	Optional*	Considered	minimum 90	*BA/MD applicants: SAT/ACT and SAT Subject in Math and Science Required
Georgetown University	Washington, D.C.	Reqired	3 recommended	minimum 100
Georgia Institute of Technology	Atlanta, Georgia	Required	Optional	minimum 90
Hamilton College	Clinton, New York	Required, Essay Optional	3 Required*	minimum 100	*or 3 Advanced Placement test required. SAT Subject or AP test must included 1 Math/Science and 1 English
Harvard University	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Required	2 Required	minimum 100	AP scores are optional
Harvey Mudd College	Claremont, California	Required, Essay Optional	2 Required*	minimum 100	*must take Math 2 and 1 other SAT Subject
College of the Holy Cross	Worcester, Massachusetts	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Haverford College	Haverford, Pennsylvania	Required	Considered	minimum 100
Imperial College	London, ENGLAND	No	No	minimum 100	4 AP tests with scores of 5 required
Indiana University	Bloomington, Indiana	Required	Considered	minimum 79
Ithaca College	Ithaca, New York	Optional	Optional	minimum 80
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, Maryland	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 100
Johnson & Wales University	Providence, Rhode Island	Recommended	Considered	minimum 75
Julliard School of Music	New York, New York	No	No	Yes, no minimum
Lafayette College	Easton, Pennsylvania	Required	Recommended	minimum 95
Lehigh University	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Required	Recommended	minimum 79
Les Roches	Bluche, SWITZERLAND	Optional	No	minimum 70
London School of Economics	London, ENGLAND	No	No	minimum 107	5 AP tests with scores of 5 rquired
Loyola University of Maryland	Baltimore, Maryland	Optional*	Optional	minimum 79	*in lieu of SAT/ACT, you can send 1 additional teacher's recommendation or 1 additional essay
Marist College	Poughkeepsie, New York	Optional*	Optional	minimum 79	*H.E.O.P. students must submit SAT/ACT
Maryland Institute College of Arts	Baltimore, Maryland	Required, ACT essay Recommended	Optional	minimum 80
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Required, Essay Optional	2 Required*	minimum 90	*1 Math and 1 Science required
McGill University	Montreal, CANADA	Required	2 Required	minimum 100
Middlebury College	Middlebury, Vermont	Required	3 subject test instead of the SAT/ACT*	minimum 109	*If student opts for 3 SAT Subject tests instead of SAT or ACT, they must take test in 3 distinct subjects
Mount Holyoke College	South Hadley, Massachusetts	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Muhlenberg College	Allentown, Pennsylvania	Optional*	Optional	minimum 80	*SAT/ACT required for merit scholarships or honors programs
New York University	New York, New York	Required	3 subject test instead of the SAT/ACT*	minimum 100	*or 3 AP or IB tests
Northeastern University	Boston, Massachusetts	Required	Optional	minimum 79
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, Illinois	Required	Considered*	minimum 80	*Subject scores used in course level placement
Northwestern University	Evanston, Illinois	Required	Considered*	minimum 95	*HPME & ISP programs requires Math 2 and Chemistry
Oberlin College	Oberlin, Ohio	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 60
Occidental University	Los Angeles, California	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 100
Oxford University	Oxford, ENGLAND	No	No	minimum 110	Admission exam given at British Consulate, NY, NY
Pace University	New York, New York	Required	Optional	minimum 80
Parsons School of Design	New York, New York	Optional	Optional	minimum 92
Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	Required	Optional	minimum 80
Pepperdine University	Malibu, California	Required, No Essay	Optional	minimum 80
Pitzer College	Claremont, California	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Pomona College	Claremont, California	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 100
Pratt Institute	Brooklyn, New York	Required, Essay Optional	Required/Considered*	minimum 79	*Math 2 required for Architecture majors
Princeton University	Princeton, New Jersey	Required	2 Recommended	minimum 108
Purdue University	West Lafayette, Indiana	Required	Optional	minimum 80
Reed College	Portland, Oregon	Required	Considered	minimum 110	AP scores considered
Rensselaer Institute of Technology	Troy, New York	Required, Essay Optional*	Required/Considered*	minimum 88	Accelerated Law & Medical require the SAT or ACT Essay, 1 SAT Math and 1 SAT Science subject test
Rice University	Houston, Texas	Required	2 Required*	minimum 100	*2 SAT Subjects that are related to area of study
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, New York	Required	Optional	minimum 79
Rowan University	Glassboro, New Jersey	Required	Optional	minimum 70
Rutgers University	New Brunswick, New Jersey	Required	Optional	minimum 79
St. John's University	Queens, New York	Optional*	Optional	minimum 79	*SAT/ACT required for scholarship applicants
Santa Clara University	Santa Clara, University	Required, Essay Optional	Optional	minimum 90
School of Visual Arts	New York, New York	Required	Optional	minimum 80
Scripps College	Claremont, California	Required	Optional	minimum 100
Seton Hall University	South Orange, New Jersey	Required	Optional	minimum 79
Skidmore College	Saratoga Springs, New York	Optional*	Required/Considered*	minimum 96	*SAT/ACT and SAT Subject required for Presidential Scholar applicants
Smith College	Northampton, Massachusetts	Optional*	Considered	minimum 90	*SAT/ACT required for all international students
Stanford University	Palo Alto, California	Required	Optional	Optional	AP scores recommended
SUNY Binghamton	Binghamton, New York	Required	Optional	minimum 90
SUNY Stony Brook	Stony Brook, New York	Required	Optional	minimum 90
Stevens Institute of Technology	Hoboken, New Jersey	Required	Required/Optional*	minimum 80	*Accelerated Medical Program requires Math and Biology/Chemistry
Swarthmore College	Swarthmore, Pennsylvania	Required	Required/Considered*	Recommended	*Engineering department requires Math 2
Syracuse University	Syracuse, New York	Required, Essay Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Tufts University	Medford, Massachusetts	Required, Essay Optional	2 Required*	minimum 90	*Engineering and Sciences requires Math and Physics/Chemisty
Tulane University	New Orleans, Louisiana	Required, Essay Optional	Optional	minimum 80
The College of New Jersey	Ewing Township, New Jersey	*Required	Optional	minimum 80	*SAT/ACT optional for Art or Music applicants
Union College	Schenectady, New York	Required/Optional*	Required/Optional*	minimum 70	*Accelerated Medical requires SAT/ACT and SAT Math and Science. Law program requires SAT/ACT with essay
U.S. Air Force Academy	Colorado Springs, Colorado	Required	Optional	U.S. citizens only
U.S. Military Academy	West Point, New York	Required	Optional	U.S. citizens only
U.S. Naval Academy	Annapolis, Maryland	Required	Optional	U.S. citizens only
University College	London, ENGLAND	Required	2 Required*	minimum 109	*5 AP tests required or 3 AP tests and 2 Subject tests
University of Arizona	Tucson, Arizona	Required/Optional*	Optional	minimum 70	*SAT/ACT required for merit scholarships and Honors, Architecture, Nursing, and Engineering programs
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, California	Required	Recommended	minimum 90
University of California, Davis	Davis, California	Required with Essay	Considered	minimum 80
University of California, Irvine	Irvine, California	Required with Essay	Recommended	minimum 80
University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles, California	Required with Essay	Required/Considered*	minimum 87	*Engineering and Sciences requires SAT Math and Science
University of California, San Diego	San Diego, California	Required with Essay	2 Recommended*	minimum 83	Engineering and Sciences requires SAT Math 2 and Science related to major
University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, California	Required with Essay	Required/Recommended*	minimum 83	*Engineering and Sciences requires SAT Math 2 and Science related to major
University of California, Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz, California	Required with Essay	Considered	minimum 80
University of Chicago	Chicago, Illinois	Optional	Considered	minimum 104
University of Connecticut	Storrs, Connecticut	Required	Optional	minimum 79
University of Delaware	Newark, Delaware	Required	Considered	minimum 104
University of Essex	Essex, ENGLAND	Required	No	N/A	3 AP tests with a 3+ score on 2 tests and a 4+ score on 1 test required
University of Exeter	Exeter, ENGLAND	ACT only required	Required*	N/A	3 AP tests with scores of 5 required or 3 SAT Subjects with a 700+ score
University of Illinois	Urbana Champaign, Illinois	Required	Considered	minimum 96
University of Maryland	College Park, Maryland	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 80
University of Massachusetts, Amherst	Amherst, Massachusetts	Required, Essay Optional	Optional	minimum 80
University of Massachusetts, Boston	Boston, Massachusetts	Optional/Considered*	Considered	minimum 80	*Nursing program requires SAT/ACT
University of Miami	Coral Gables, Florida	Required, No Essay	Optional	minimum 80
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, Michigan	Required	Considered	minimum 100
University of North Carolina	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	Required, Essay Optional	Recommended	minimum 100
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Required	2 Recommended/Considered*	minimum 100	*STEM and Nursing program requires SAT Chemistry. Engineering program requires SAT Math 2 and Physics. Business program requires SAT Math 2.
University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Required	Optional	minimum 100
University of Richmond	Richmond, Virginia	Required	Optional	minimum 80
University of Rochester	Rochester, New York	Required	2 Subject test instead of SAT/ACT*	minimum 95	*or 2 AP tests
University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	Required	Recommended	minimum 90
University of Texas	Austin, Texas	Required	Considered	minimum 79
University of Virginia	Charlottesville, Virginia	Required, No Essay	Optional	minimum 90
University of Warwick	Warwick, ENGLAND	No	Required*	N/A	*1 SAT Subject with 700+ score and 2 aP tests required or 3 AP tests with scores of 5 required
University of Washington	Seattle, Washington	Required	Optional	minimum 92
University of Wisconsin	Madison, Wisconsin	Required	Optional	minimum 95-105
Vanderbilt University	Nashville, Tennessee	Required	Considered	minimum 88
Vassar College	Poughkeepsie, New York	Required, Essay Optional	Recommended*	minimum 100	*SAT Subject in Foreign Language to fulfill proficiency requirement
Villanova University	Villanova, Pennsylvania	Requied	Optional	minimum 90
Virginia Polytechnic Institute	Blacksburg, Virginia	Required	Considered	minimum 90
Wake Forest University	Winston Salem, North Carolina	Optional*	Optional*	minimum 100	*This university actually refers to standardized tests as evil.
Washington & Lee University	Lexington, Virginia	Required, No Essay	Considered	Recommended
Washington University in St. Louis	St. Louis, Missouri	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 90
Wellesley College	Wellesley, Massachusetts	Required, Essay Optional	Considered	minimum 100
Wesleyan University	Middletown, Connecticut	Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Wheaton College	Norton, Massachusetts	Optional	Optional	minimum 90
College of William & Mary	Williamsburg, Virginia	Required, Essay Optional	Optional	minimum 100
Williams College	Williamstown, Massachusetts	Required	Considered	Recommended
Worcester Institute of Technology	Worcester, Massachusetts	Optional	Optional	minimum 84
Yale University	New Haven, Connecticut	Required, Essay Optional	2 Recommended	minimum 100

How to Use this List

Now that you know what colleges require which test, it’s time to start preparing!

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Brigitte Chang

Brigitte Chang is Head College Counselor and oversees our College Admissions Counseling program. She is an expert on the college application process. Most of all, she knows exactly what admission officers are looking for in an applicant even at the most selective and competitive schools. She oversees all of our Road Map to College students to ensure they are on track to gaining entry to the perfect college.

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Ultimate List of College Admissions Test Requirements