College Admissions Testing

The purpose of standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT has been to assess students' general educational development and preparedness for college-level coursework. Because these are national tests, colleges are able to compare scores from students around the country. 

DeLaSalle’s school code to use when registering for testing is 241600.

Definitions

• Test Optional: The student’s application to that college is complete with or without a test score and students decide if they want to submit a test score along with their college application. Students should reflect on whether their test score is likely to increase their chances of admission to that school or not.

• Test Preferred or Test Expected: While the school will accept and review applications without a submitted test score, they are also likely to state that submission of a test score helps their admissions committee to better assess applicants’ abilities and potential.

• Test Blind or Test Free: Whether or not a student desires to submit a test score, it will not be considered in the application evaluation.

• Test Required: Submission of an ACT or SAT score is a required component of the application.

Pre-Pandemic

Most 4-year colleges and universities required students to take and submit scores from one of the standardized tests (ACT or SAT). 

Changes Due to the Pandemic

Beginning with the graduating class of 2021, almost all colleges and universities adopted a test optional admissions policy due to the interruptions to testing as a result of the pandemic. Many of those colleges have since announced a permanent change and remain test optional. At many others, though they have only committed to a temporary test optional admissions process, test optional admissions are still in place for the current graduating class of 2024. That said, an increasing number of selective 4-year colleges are returning to requiring applicants to submit a standardized test score for admission. It’s important to research the standardized testing admission requirements for the colleges you are interested in. Testing information can be found on each college’s admissions website and Fairtest.org is another great resource.

Testing Accommodations

Both ACT and SAT allow students with professionally diagnosed and documented disabilities who currently receive testing accommodations in school to apply for special accommodations for testing. ACT also allows students who qualify for English Learner (EL) services in school to apply for special testing accommodations. Students will be asked to provide documentation of their disability or EL status upon registering for the test and requesting accommodations, and each test company will decide as to whether the students qualify for accommodations.

Additional information can be found at the following links:

ACT Accommodations

SAT Accommodations