A New Direction in College Admissions: What’s New with the Re-enforcement of Mandatory Testing Policies? Kayla Hofman, Associate Editor February 26, 2026
Students travel out of state to take college placement tests in time for applications Curran Nielsen, Editor-in-Chief November 5, 2020
UC test blind policy raises questions about test importance in college admissions Danielle Jones, Copy Chief October 29, 2020
![WHAT’S TRENDING Being test-optional does not truly mean “optional.” Although some top schools continue the “test blind” policy in their admissions process, the number of accepted students who submitted test scores is substantially more than those who chose not to. Because of the rising number of competitive applicants vying for admission at top universities, an excellent ACT or SAT score can make all the difference and be a valuable predictor of how an individual will perform at the college level. “I really do think that the SAT [and ACT] can be more helpful than harmful most of the time,” Mater Dei School Counselor Marybeth Nguyen said. “The college just wants to know that you're going to be successful there.” Photo Illustration by Kayla Hofman.](https://thescarletscroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HEIF-Image-12-1200x675.jpeg)
![The nine UC campuses are to use a “test blind” policy for all student admissions until the case settles or a final ruling is issued. In December 2019, a lawsuit was filed against the University of California by student plaintiffs, advocacy groups, and six organizations for the use of the SAT and ACT in the admissions process. “I think this will be a big push to reexamine, and the results of that might mean a huge shift in the testing [process].”](https://thescarletscroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1F8B3ECC-3888-42B2-B8EE-56C6448B8997-490x900-1.jpeg)