The SAT and ACT are staples of the college admission process. Since COVID though, many colleges have begun to allow students to apply without submitting standardized test scores. Even so, SAT and ACT scores still weigh heavily on applications for many schools.

First, it is important to understand the difference between test optional and test blind. A test optional school allows students to submit an application without any test scores, despite test scores having weight in applications. According to Ms. Levenson, when applicants don’t submit a score, other aspects of an application, like grades and extracurriculars, are more heavily weighed.

Some schools are test blind, which means they don’t consider standardized tests in applications at all. This is the policy for the University of California schools, where ACT and SAT scores are irrelevant to your application. 

To determine how specific colleges consider test scores students can look at the common data set. Common data sets tell viewers how heavily colleges weigh different areas of applications, including GPA, standardized test scores, and extracurriculars

The recent decisions by colleges to lower the weight of test scores on college applications is related to concerns over equity. Some studies have shown that SAT and ACT are impacted by racial and economic factors. 

Family income plays a significant part in standardized test scores. According to the study Race, Poverty, and SAT Scores, academic achievement and SAT scores increase with income. ACT Composite Score by Family Income shows similar statistics. It mentions that families that make more than $80,000 a year have an average score of 23.4, while families with an average income of $80,000 a year or less have an average score of 19.8.

This also connects to race and ethnicity. According to the US census bureau, in Real Median Household Income by Race and Hispanic Origin, Black and Hispanic families have a median household income of $45,870 and $55,321. In comparison, White and Asian households have a median income $74,912 and $94,903. Black and Hispanic households have a lower income than their counterparts, meaning that on average they will score lower on the SAT and ACT.

While the SAT and ACT measure academic achievement in a standard way for all students, that goal is not achieved when economic factors and race affect scores.