Over the past few years, efforts have been made to encourage more colleges to accept self-reported SAT and ACT scores from students during the application process and only require official reports when a student actually enrolls. Leaders of this push have included Gabrielle McColgan, James Murphy, Marie Bigham, and many other contributors.
Why the growing movement?
Among the many expenses that add up in the college admission process are application fees, test registration fees, and official score report fees. Many students are eligible to have these fees waived, but other students who don’t qualify for waivers may still find the costs to be a burden. A typical scenario might involve a student taking both the SAT and ACT once or twice, applying to 8–10 colleges, and spending a few hundred dollars simply to have official score reports sent to each college.
Colleges in the list below have stipulated that students may self-report their test scores in their applications. Click on the name of the college to visit the page on the school’s website where the policy is explained. Note that colleges may still require official scores for international and home-schooled students.
Our goal is to see this list grow and make it as comprehensive as possible. Please add a comment and provide the policy page link if you come across a school not listed. Note that only colleges that have written policies on their websites or in application materials are included here.
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. There are nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the country, and we have not examined the self-reporting policies at each one. The completeness of this list relies heavily on crowdsourced data.
Please note: All colleges require official test scores upon enrollment; these are application policies only. Some schools may have different requirements to be eligible for merit-based scholarships. Students should check directly with each college to confirm they have the most recent and accurate policy information.
Carleton College – https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/steps/materials/#materials
Great! We’ve updated the list to include Carleton.
Please add Beloit College to the list as well. Here’s the relevant link:
https://www.beloit.edu/admission/apply/firstyearapplicants/
Bipal,
Catching up post holidays. Beloit has been added.
Connecticut College does too:
https://www.conncoll.edu/admission/apply/standardized-test-policy/
Rodrigo,
Sorry for the holiday delay. We’ve updated the information for Connecticut College.
The College of Wooster accepts self-reported scores.
Link: https://www.wooster.edu/admissions/apply/firstyear/policy/
Kaushik,
Thank you for the information. We have updated the post to reflect College of Wooster’s policy.
Is this list being updated for the 2019-20 application cycle?
Hi Lisa,
We keep this list updated as colleges make announcements of their changed procedures. But as part of our summer comb-through of policies, we’ll also be updating the list with any schools whose announcements we missed. If you ever encounter a school with a self-reporting policy that is not on this list, feel free to email guide@compassprep.com. Thank you!
Carthage College also accepts self-reported scores.
Thank you for letting us know, we have added it to the list!
Please add University of Pennsylvania to the list! https://admissions.upenn.edu/admissions-and-financial-aid/what-penn-looks-for/testing
Thank you, Gabi! We added it to the list.
NC State University should come off the list. Their webpage (linked in your chart) says scores must be sent from the testing agency.
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for reaching out! NC State posted a press release earlier this year with an update that they would accept self-reported scores. “This fall NC State will accept self-reported test scores from domestic freshman and transfer applicants through the Common Application or Coalition Application. […] Only students who ultimately decide to enroll at NC State will need to have official test scores sent to our office prior to enrolling.” It appears they haven’t updated their application website, though. So, for now, we have changed our link to the official update from the school.
https://admissions.ncsu.edu/2019/05/17/fall-2020-application-updates/
The University of Delaware just went to self-reported scores for this year! https://www.udel.edu/apply/undergraduate-admissions/requirements/
Thanks for the heads up, Ross! We have added UD to the list.
UNC Charlotte also accepts self-reported test scores: https://admissions.uncc.edu/freshmen/application-requirements/self-reported-test-scores. Thanks!
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for letting us know! Our list has been updated with UNC Charlotte.
Hi! You can add Villanova University to your list: https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/admission/overview.html. We changed our policy starting Fall 2019. Thanks!
Hi Matthew,
Thank you for reaching out! We have added Villanova to our list.
We just received word from the Dean of Admissions that the University of Richmond will now accept self-reported testing. https://admissions.richmond.edu/process/early-action.html
Thanks!
Thanks for the update, Erin! We added University of Richmond.
It looks like University of Miami should be added to the list https://admissions.miami.edu/undergraduate/application-process/admission-requirements/freshman/index.html
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for this info – we have added University of Miami to the list!
You can add the University of Notre Dame to the list! https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/faqs/
Thanks for the heads-up, Holly! We have added Notre Dame.
Looks like Loyola Chicago is the next to add – Review Changes To Loyola’s Application Process
Loyola Accepts Self-Reported Test Scores
Beginning this fall, first-year applicants may self-report ACT and/or SAT scores on the application. Applicants who are offered admission and choose to matriculate at Loyola will be required to provide official results prior to enrolling. Students are encouraged to submit all of their scores. Loyola superscores the ACT and SAT. Students required to submit English proficiency test results (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE) should continue to send those scores through the testing services. REVIEW THE FRESHMAN APPLICATION PROCESS
Hi Holly,
Thanks for letting us know about Loyola Chicago’s update – we have added them to the list!
Mount Holyoke’s website is now updated and we accept self-reported scores.
Thank you for letting us know! We’ve added Mount Holyoke.
Hi! Occidental also announced that students can self-report. Here is the link where it’s stated: https://www.oxy.edu/admission-aid/apply/application-requirements/standardized-testing
Thanks so much!
Thank you for passing this information along, Jillian! We’ve added Oxy.
St. Lawrence University is now accepting self-reported scores. Here’s the link: https://www.stlawu.edu/admissions/first-year-students
Hi Kathryn,
Thank you for this information – we have added St. Lawrence to the list!
Appalachian State University accepts self-reported test scores.
https://admissions.appstate.edu/how-apply/first-year-students
We’ve added App State to the list – thank you for letting us know!
Hi Art/Margaux,
What I heard is that even though colleges on the list you have on your website allow self-reported scores, they may not consider you for merit scholarships unless you send “official” score reports via College Board. In other words, self-reporting (for colleges in the list above) is fine for admissions, but not necessarily fine for being considered for merit scholarships. It will be great if you can provide insight into this. Thanks.
Hi Umesh,
While I don’t know of any schools off-hand that have such a policy, it’s certainly possible. We do know that all schools require official scores upon enrollment, and there are some Test Optional schools that require you to submit standardized test scores to be considered for merit scholarships. Because individual admissions and scholarship policies can vary so widely, we always advise students to check with schools before submitting their applications. Best of luck!
Thanks Margaux.
This list rocks! Thank you everyone for making this a priority & Compass for compiling it. We’re close to sharing it with our seniors.
Thank you, Oya! We’re so glad our list is helpful to you and your students.
I think Yale accepts self-reported scores. https://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing
Hi Adelaide,
Yale does accept self-reported scores! They are on our list.
Fordham accepts counselor-reported “official” test scores
https://www.fordham.edu/info/23829/test_scores
Thank you for letting us know, Laura! We added Fordham (with an asterisk).
I applaud this movement and the work of the advocates who have inspired and encouraged it!
Please add Clark University: https://apply.clarku.edu/register/selfreporttestscores
I don’t have a website link but I understand that Dartmouth also allows self-reported scores.
Thank you for letting us know about Clark University, Leslie – we’ve added it to the list. I didn’t see anything official on Dartmouth’s website either, but we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for any hints that they allow self-reporting!
Roger Williams: https://www.rwu.edu/undergraduate/admission-aid/first-year-applicants/standardized-test-optional-policy
We’ve added this one as well!