The SAT is a standardised test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Below are some details mentioned about the SAT exam and schools offering an SAT waiver.
Administered by: College Board
Knowledge/skills tested: Writing, critical reading, mathematics
Scores/grades used by: Most universities and colleges offering undergraduate programs in the U.S.
The annual number of test-takers: Over 2.19 million high school graduates in the class of 2020
Developer/administrator: College Board, Educational Testing Service
Purpose: Admission to undergraduate programs of universities or colleges
The SAT used to be the gold standard for getting into college. If you had a good score, you were accepted almost anywhere. But if you didn’t, finding a good college was a real battle.
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Hence, in this blog, we have the top 20 schools which do not require SAT for admission into their colleges.
California State University – Stanislaus
Founded in 1960, CSU offers 43 excellent undergraduate majors available in many fields. They also offer 16 master’s degree programs. Moreover, California State University – Stanislaus is dedicated to serving its diverse student body.
It offers LGBTQ+ Mentor Programs that connect LGBTQ+ students with trusted mentors. California State University – Stanislaus is waiving the SAT requirement for the Fall 2021 & Spring 2022 admission cycles.
Hampshire College – Amherst, Massachusetts
At Hampshire College, students build their major in conjunction with an advisor instead of choosing one. Besides, Hampshire College’s campus is turning green, with the Kern Center creating its energy.
Students applying to Hampshire also create their portfolio type application with writing samples, recommendations, and examples of projects. Further, Hampshire College is test-blind, meaning it never considers standardised test scores of prospective students.
Loyola University – New Orleans, Louisiana
Loyola New Orleans was the top producer of Peace Corps volunteers in 2017, probably because of their Jesuit solid traditions. All located only 20 minutes from New Orleans’s French Quarter, Loyola New Orleans also offers 110 excellent undergraduate programs and 36 special graduate programs. Loyola New Orleans is a test blind school that never considers SAT scores, even if a student submits one. Instead, the school finds ‘GPA, academic rigour, student involvement, and the student’s statement.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
St. Mary’s College of Maryland has 38-degree programs and 29 study abroad programs. St. Mary’s City is also home to one of the first English settlements in North America, and the campus is over 300 acres and on the beautiful waterfront. St. Mary’s College of Maryland further says that SAT scores do not fully represent students’ academic achievement and are optional on the application. But if a student believes the score would strengthen their application, they are welcome to include it.
Kansas State University
Kansas State University offers an impressive 250 undergraduate programs and 165 graduate programs while also awarding 230 million dollars in financial aid and 36 dollars million in scholarships. The university allows first-year students to meet a 3.25 GPA requirement or submit an SAT score. Students can also apply without doing either, and their application will be reviewed individually.
Best undergraduate business School: 2021
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a research-driven institution that earned 439.7 million dollars in research contracts and grants in 2019. Students can further earn degrees in botany, geology, creative writing, and photography with Oregon State University’s diverse offering of over 200 undergraduate programs and 100 graduate programs. Moreover, students applying for Fall 2021 and subsequent seasons do not need an SAT score to apply.
Indiana University – Bloomington
Indiana University is one of the top public research universities in the US. This university has a broad and diverse offering of degrees in the fields such as gender studies, science and engineering, music, data science, school psychology, and much more.
The 2021 admissions cycle will further offer a test-optional policy that will consider all aspects of an application, including grades earned in academic coursework, honours work, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses, and extracurricular activities.
Centre College – Danville, Kentucky
Centre has been a top 15 college in the south on Forbes list for seven years now. It pushes students to move beyond the classroom with an internship or study abroad program. Centre College offers an SAT waiver for 2021, 2022 and 2023 admission cycles’ due to COVID-19 and testing challenges.
New York University
NYU provides a rigorous, demanding education to more than 50,000 students and undertakes nearly $1 billion in research annually. This private university also offers majors in visual and performing arts, social sciences, business, management, marketing, and related support services. NYU wants scores, but students can substitute an SAT score for AP test scores, IB test scores, or the IB diploma.
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Arizona State University
Arizona State University is not only a huge school, but it also ranks #1 in innovation in the US. ASU is also in the top 5 for universities with global impact based on research and stewardship. Students are sure to find a major they love with ASU’s 350 undergraduate programs.
To be admitted to Arizona State University, students can submit an SAT score but can also be top 25% in their high school class or have a GPA higher than 3.00.
American University
The American University is a student-centred research institution located in Washington, DC, with 89% of students completing an internship in their four years. American is a test-optional school, but students who graduate from a secondary school outside of the United States will probably submit either an SAT or ACT score.
Cornell – Ithaca, New York
The University is an Ivy League school with outstanding programs in architecture, engineering, and hotel management. Its campus is in a rural setting but spans over 700 acres. Moreover, Cornell ranks 18th for best national universities.
Beginning August 2021, Cornell will be offering an SAT waiver for applications. However, they note that this is not a permanent change but simply due to Coronavirus and the testing difficulties that come with it.
Lewis & Clark – Portland, Oregon
Lewis and Clark is a small liberal arts college described as collaborative and open-minded by its students. Further, Lewis and Clark’s popular majors include social sciences, biological and biomedical sciences, psychology, English language, literature, and visual and performing arts.
Since 1991, Lewis and Clark have had a test-optional policy and boast their role in leading the way towards test-optional. Students may submit a score if they want, but it will not play a role in awarding merit-based or need-based financial aid.
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George Washington University – Washington, D.C.
Students come to George Washington University for the passionate faculty, diverse student groups, the division I athletic program, and once in a lifetime internship opportunity. George Washington also consistently ranks highly as one of the most politically active college campuses in the U.S. Enrolment for the 2021 admission cycle is test-optional. Still, George Washington will be reverting to a pre-pandemic policy that requires a test score.
Ithaca College – Ithaca, New York
Ithaca is a private liberal arts college known worldwide for its fantastic Roy H. Park School of Communications. Multiple organisations have ranked the Park school as a top school for journalism, film, media & entertainment.
Above all, Ithaca believes every student is an individual with talents, skills, accomplishments, and potential that one cannot reduce to a single test score. Because of this, Ithaca allows students to submit or withhold test scores in most cases.
James Madison University – Harrisburg, Virginia
JMU is a public research university with a recognisably beautiful campus in Virginia. Besides, there are eight significant undergraduate programs and six graduate programs. James Madison is also a lower cost university that still provides quality education.
James Madison offers an SAT waiver for applications, and no applicant will be penalised for withholding scores.
Wake Forest University – Winston-Salem, North Carolina
This is a selective and highly rated university in the Greensboro area of North Carolina. However, the admissions here are somewhat competitive, with a 29% acceptance rate. Wake Forest stands out for its kinesiology, communications, and finance programs.
Wake Forest provides students with an SAT waiver option, where only 45% of applicants admitted in 2017 submitted test scores.
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago sits on the shores of Lake Michigan with over 200 acres. Students from the University of Chicago do fantastic work like splitting the atom, developing sociology, and measuring the speed of light.
The University of Chicago is test-optional and describes test scores as neither required nor recommended.
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Cambridge, Massachusetts
MIT is an outstanding school that regularly ranks #1 for the best colleges in America. MIT is a highly competitive school with a 7% acceptance rate and about 4,500 undergraduates. Students love to take up majors such as mathematics, computer science, and mechanical engineering here.
Though MIT usually requires test scores, this year’s admission cycle will be test-optional due to coronavirus.
Harvard University – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Harvard University is an excellent school dedicated to fantastic teaching, learning, and research. It was the first University in America and continues to excel in preparing students for the world. Students interested in a unique field can create a particular concentration.
Harvard is offering an SAT waiver for this year because of Coronavirus but will return to requiring scores in future years.
Some of the universities mentioned here offer an SAT waiver only due to the coronavirus situation. Otherwise, the SAT is compulsory.
FAQs
We have answered some frequent questions for your help.
Q1. What is the cost of taking the SAT?
Ans. The total cost of taking an SAT is $101 without an essay and $117 with an essay.
Q2. How much does it cost to send SAT scores?
You can send four free score reports to colleges every time you register for the SAT. This is the fastest way to send scores to colleges and scholarship programs—and there’s no fee. You can use your free score reports up to 11:59 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time, nine days after the test.
Q3. How many attempts are there for SAT?
Ans. Students can take the SAT as many times as they want. We recommend that they take it at least twice—in the spring of their junior year and the fall of their senior year. Most students get a higher score the second time, and most colleges consider a student’s highest SAT score when making admission decisions.
We truly hope we were able to resolve any queries you might have had.
Good luck!