Submit an ACT score to a test-optional college when, after checking its current policy, you believe the result adds useful academic evidence to your application. There is no universal “submit above this number” rule. Consider the college's instructions, the relevant program, your section profile, and the rest of your academic record.
Make the decision separately for each college. A score that is required at one institution may be optional at another, and a scholarship can have requirements that differ from general admission. Begin with the policy, then evaluate the score.
First confirm that you actually have a choice
Find the college's own admissions page for your entry year and applicant type. A policy for transfer students, an earlier application cycle, or a special program may not answer the question for a first-year applicant applying now.
Policy labels need careful reading:
- Test-required: follow the institution's stated submission requirements and any applicable exception process.
- Test-optional: determine whether you want the college to consider your ACT result under its rules.
- Scores not considered for admission: do not assume sending a result will strengthen the admissions review; check any separate use for placement or other purposes.
- Test-flexible: read which tests or combinations satisfy the policy rather than assuming “flexible” means “no testing.”
Policies do change. As checked on September 6, 2026, Northwestern describes its general undergraduate policy as test-optional, while Cornell requires SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants. These examples show why an old list of test-optional colleges is a poor basis for a current decision. Verify the institution you are applying to directly.
Create a one-row record for each college
Keep the information somewhere you can update. A small table prevents repeated research and makes unresolved questions visible.
| Item | What to record |
|---|---|
| Applicant and entry year | First-year or transfer; intended starting term |
| General testing policy | Required, optional, or another clearly defined policy |
| Program or scholarship rule | Any separate testing or section requirement |
| Score method | Single sitting, ACT Superscore, or the institution's stated approach |
| Reporting method | Self-reporting, official report, or both at different stages |
| Deadline | Last accepted test date and score-submission deadline |
| Source | Direct policy link and the date you checked it |
| Decision | Submit, do not submit, or resolve a named question |
Do not mark a row complete because you found the words “test optional.” Read the exceptions and instructions. If a page contains contradictory statements, ask the admissions office to clarify the specific point rather than guessing which paragraph applies.
A useful question is narrow: “For first-year applicants entering in this term, does this program require the optional ACT Science section?” It is easier to answer than “Is my ACT good enough?”
Compare your result with the right group
A college's published score range can provide context, but read the labels around the numbers. Is the range for applicants, admitted students, or enrolled students? Which entering class does it describe? Does it include only students who submitted that test?
For example, section C9 of Northwestern's 2024–2025 Common Data Set describes enrolled first-year students who submitted scores. That is a definition of a reporting group, not a prediction about every future applicant.
When you see a middle 50% range, its endpoints identify the 25th and 75th percentiles in the stated group. They are not automatic rejection and admission boundaries. A score above the upper endpoint does not guarantee admission, and a score below the lower endpoint does not prove that withholding it is the right choice.
Also consider selection: at a test-optional institution, students who submit scores may differ from those who do not. The reported range cannot, by itself, tell you whether sending your own score would change your admission outcome.
Look at the section profile and your academic record
Ask what the score contributes alongside your grades, courses, and other academic evidence. A Composite is useful, but it can hide meaningful variation among sections.
Suppose an applicant has strong work in advanced quantitative classes and an ACT Math result that supports that record. That section may be relevant to the applicant's academic story. Another student may feel that a lower result does not reflect what their transcript and schoolwork show. Those situations deserve individual consideration under the college's policy.
Avoid turning this into a mechanical formula that assigns points to grades and test results. You do not know the institution's complete review process or the applicant pool. A counselor who knows your school and record can help interpret the evidence, but cannot promise what an admissions reader will decide.
A useful explanation of your own decision is: “I am submitting because this result adds evidence of these academic strengths, and the college permits this reporting method.” “Everyone online says to submit above the 25th percentile” is a much weaker reason.
Check Superscore rules before comparing numbers
If you have tested more than once, confirm what the institution accepts. ACT calculates a Superscore, but colleges choose how to use the information. Do not assume every institution applies the same rule.
ACT's Superscore FAQ explains that a Superscore report includes data from the attempts contributing to it. Sending a Superscore does not mean the recipient sees only an isolated Composite number with no contributing test information.
Use the score shown in your official account and follow the college's instructions for self-reporting individual sections and dates. Do not create a custom score that combines sections in a way the institution has not authorized.
Check optional Science and Writing requirements independently. A policy accepting ACT scores does not, by itself, answer every question about optional sections, a particular major, or a scholarship program.
Work through three hypothetical decisions
The following examples are original and do not describe actual colleges or admission predictions.
A required result
College A requires an SAT or ACT result for the student's applicant category. The student's ACT falls below a published range. The student must still address the testing requirement; “test optional elsewhere” does not make this application optional.
The next question is whether a permitted later test could be useful and timely, or whether the student should submit the available result under the stated rules.
An optional result with a supporting section profile
College B is test-optional and accepts the student's ACT Superscore. The result is within its published range and supports strengths visible in the transcript. The student might reasonably choose to submit after checking the reporting requirements.
This is a reasoned choice, not an admission guarantee. Another part of the application still needs careful work.
An optional result with a separate scholarship question
College C is test-optional for admission, but its scholarship page is unclear about testing. The student should resolve that policy before treating “do not submit” as the final decision.
The important discovery is an unanswered requirement. A score comparison cannot solve a policy question.
Separate deciding from sending
You may have a choice between self-reporting during the application and ordering an official report, depending on the institution. Check the required method before paying for delivery.
ACT's score-sending instructions explain that results are sent to selected recipients and that additional reports can be requested through MyACT. Review recipient choices carefully. Do not assume a previously requested report can be recalled or that a college will automatically ignore a score without following its process.
If you change your mind, use the institution's current instructions for changing testing preference. Record any deadline and confirmation. Changing a preference in one college's portal does not update every other application.
Make the decision with official results
Use practice scores to guide preparation and decide whether another official attempt might be useful. They are not scores to submit as official ACT results.
The ACT score calculator interprets its supported official enhanced practice forms and labels any possible ranges. It is a study tool, not an admissions predictor or a substitute for the report in MyACT.
Before you finalize each application, confirm the entry-year policy, the reporting method, the score or Superscore you intend to provide, and the relevant deadlines. Then return attention to the rest of the application rather than repeatedly reopening the same decision without new evidence.
SHSPrep’s ACT program includes lessons, targeted practice, and two original full-length mock tests with raw performance results. For current score-submission decisions, work from your actual report, direct college policies, and a counselor's understanding of your academic context. Keep a clear record of what you decided for each institution and why.