Harvard student with high GPA but low test scores boasts she got in by going ‘test optional’ after hiding her results because they didn’t meet elite standards

This is actually for the benefit of the school. For example, when my daughter was visiting Vanderbilt they explained that you should only provide your scores if they were 1580 SAT or 35 ACT or above. They report these to US News & World Report for their college rankings. They…

— @amuse (@amuse) June 2, 2025

Harvard has allowed applicants to apply test-optional in recent years, meaning students can choose whether to submit their SAT or ACT scores. This policy was introduced during the pandemic and continued for several admissions cycles. However, Harvard announced that it will reinstate standardized test requirements starting with the next admissions cycle.

Sources:

https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-requirements

https://www.fas.harvard.edu/2024/04/11/return-to-required-testing/