For many high school students, the SAT or ACT can feel like one of the most important parts of their entire academic career. These exams cause more stress than their actual value. They can also cost families a lot of money, especially if students use tutors or paid prep programs. The cost adds up quickly, especially for families already facing financial stress. With most colleges being test-optional in recent years, many people are questioning whether all that stress and money is really worth it.
Even at highly competitive schools like Harvard, a score is not always the deciding factor between an acceptance and rejection. While strong scores can help, colleges look at many other parts of an application, such as GPA, extracurriculars, and course rigor. A local college counselor, Carson Buck shares some helpful insight about standardized testing. “Sometimes a student will be really stressed out about their SAT or ACT score and find out that only 25% of admitted students submitted a score when they applied.” Buck shares how that is a great way for students to find out how important standardized test scores are for certain schools.
Buck also explained that standardized testing policies have changed significantly over the past few years. “Test scores definitely matter less than they did before 2020,” she said. Before the pandemic, most colleges required test scores. After 2021, many schools became test-optional or test-blind. California is a major example of this shift, as the UC and Cal State systems no longer consider SAT or ACT scores at all. But testing expectations still vary across the country, with some states continuing to strongly encourage or require scores.
When students look back on their high school years, many realize their standardized test score was not the most important thing about them. Instead, they remember the classes they enjoyed, the activities they were involved in, and the skills they developed. Colleges often care more about who a student is as a person, not just how they performed on one test at 8 am on a Saturday morning. Buck emphasized that students often place too much pressure on themselves surrounding testing. “The two things that are most important to colleges in 2026 remain your GPA and the rigor of the courses you take,” she said.
In the end, it is your decision to take standardized testing. SAT and ACT scores are just one piece of the puzzle. As more schools move away from requiring these tests, students may begin to realize that their value goes far beyond a single score.