Frequently Asked Questions

Starting too early is not ideal as it can lead to frustration and burn out.

•  Highest scores are usually earned spring of junior year through fall of senior year.
•  It is ideal to have testing completed by end of junior year. For early decision, early action, rolling admissions, many students like to complete testing by June of junior year. Most of these schools, however, accept scores through the October test taken senior year.
•  For some regular decision schools, the last test date is December of senior year.
•  The Ideal testing calendar would allow you to take the test of choice at least three times. While all three times may not be needed, it is best to plan three test dates in case they are needed.

No college requires both SAT and ACT scores. 

No, they are all scored on a scale that is determined before the test date.

SAT Test Dates

Both tests are accepted equally everywhere.

There are so many components that go in to creating a student’s college list and recommending majors, and the college decision is such a big one for a student and family on many levels. Sandy does not feel comfortable making recommendations without gathering and assessing all of the background information that comes with the Best Fit Package.

Allow time to complete 4 hours of homework between each session. For some students a week apart works, for others 2 weeks. Over breaks, sometimes students prefer to meet five days in a row. - The sessions just need to start after the practice test(s) and finish before the real test date.

This depends upon many factors (college, major, high school transcript, high school profile, unique student circumstances), and it is a very important decision. For students who have completed Best Fit Package with EDNavigators, we can help you decide whether to sent scores and to which colleges. Scheduling links for this meeting are on your CCP dashboard.

Colleges that REQUIRE SAT/ACT Scores - as of October 2025

•  All Public Universities in Florida (e.g., University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida)
•   All Public Universities in Georgia (e.g., University of Georgia, Georgia State University)
•   Auburn University:mandatory beginning Fall 2027. For the Fall 2026 admission, test scores are preferred, though exceptionally qualified applicants with a GPA of at least 3.6 may be considered without them.
•   Brown University
•   California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
•   Cornell University (Required for 2025-26 applicants)
•   Dartmouth College
•   Georgetown University
•   Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
•   Harvard University
•   Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
•   Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
•   Purdue University (Main Campus - West Lafayette)
•   Stanford University
•   The Ohio State University (OSU)
•   University of Pennsylvania
•   University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)
•   Yale University

•   Princeton University (Test-optional for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 cycles, but will be test-required starting in Fall 2028)

Colleges that RECOMMEND or Strongly Consider Scores

•   Carnegie Mellon University: "Strongly encourages" scores for specific programs, like the School of Computer Science.
•   New York University (NYU): While test-optional, NYU lists standardized test scores as "Very Important" in its admissions considerations (Common Data Set).
•   Tulane University also lists test scores as "Very Important" despite having a test-optional policy.
•   University of Michigan: Similar to NYU, UMich remains test-optional but indicates that scores are "Very Important" to its evaluation.

 Many colleges are test-optional only through the high school graduating class of 2025. It is essential to check each college website for the latest information. 

Some colleges give scholarships based on test scores. 

California State System

Catholic University

Dickinson College

Hampshire College

LaSalle University

Loyola University New Orleans

Northern Illinois University

Pitzer College (part of Claremonts)

Reed College

Stonehill College

University of California System

University of Washington

Washington State University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

No. Colleges are Score-Choice, meaning when you take the SAT or ACT, your scores belong to you. The only way colleges will know you took the test is if you choose to send the score report to them or write your scores on your application. You can take the test multiple times, but only send/report scores from one or two test dates to the college. The college will not know you took the test multiple times. (Note: the exception here is Georgetown University, which requires students to send their results for every standardized test taken).

In most cases, yes. In college admissions, the answer to many questions is, "It depends." That holds true for this question as well. Many factors go in to a university's admission decision. Very often the selected major plays a role.

They are updated annually on this page of the Common App

This is the list as of Oct 2025