Test-Optional and Merit Scholarships: When Sending Scores Helps, for Fall 2027

If your college list says "test-optional," you might assume your scores do not matter for money. That is not always true. A college can admit you without scores and still ask for them when it decides who gets a merit scholarship. For Class of 2027 seniors planning a Fall 2027 start, one email or one web page check can decide whether sending a score helps, hurts, or changes nothing.

This guide shows how to find each school's rule in writing, how to compare your scores with the school's published ranges, and how to plan the cost of sending them. Policies change from year to year and school to school, so treat every example here as a reason to check, not as a rule.

What does "test-optional" mean for scholarships?

Test-optional means a college will consider your application without an SAT or ACT score. It does not promise that every scholarship works the same way. Some colleges treat the admission decision and the scholarship decision as two separate reviews, and the scholarship review may use different information.

You will usually see one of these setups:

• Scores are not used for admission or scholarships. Your grades, courses, essays, and activities carry the weight. This is sometimes called test-blind, and it is less common than test-optional.
• Scores are optional for admission but can raise scholarship chances. The college may list score ranges for its largest awards.
• Scores are optional for most students but required for some programs. Honors colleges, nursing, engineering, and other selective programs sometimes ask for scores even when the rest of the school does not.
• Another measure replaces scores. A college may ask for a short essay, a graded writing sample, or extra short answers if you do not send a score.

The only reliable answer is the one on the college's own website for your entry term. Look for the page for first-year applicants and the page for scholarships, because they can say different things.

Where can you find the rule in writing?

Start with the college's admissions page, then the scholarship page, then the financial aid page. Search the site for words such as "test-optional," "standardized testing," "scholarship," and "merit." Save a screenshot or copy the link and the date you checked.

If the pages do not agree, use these sources to settle it:

1. The scholarship chart or award table. Many colleges publish a grid with GPA and score ranges. If a chart has a score column, ask whether a student with no score can use a different row.
2. The Common Data Set. Most colleges publish one each year. The first-year admission section lists which factors the college considers and the testing policy. The financial aid section shows how many students received non-need merit aid. Our guide to reading Section H of the Common Data Set explains how to find the aid tables.
3. The admissions or scholarship office. Ask a plain question in an email and keep the reply.

Here is a message you can copy and adjust:

"I am applying for Fall 2027 as a first-year student. If I apply test-optional, am I still considered for all merit scholarships, including the [name of scholarship]? If scores raise the award amount, can you share the score ranges or the process for submitting scores after I apply?"

How do you decide whether to send your scores?

Compare your scores with the college's middle range for admitted students. The Common Data Set and the college's profile page usually list the 25th and 75th percentile scores. Those are the scores at the middle of the pack, so half of enrolled students fall between them.

• If your score is at or above the middle of the range, sending it may help, especially when the scholarship chart uses scores.
• If your score is below the range, sending it is less likely to help. Your grades and course rigor may tell a stronger story.
• If you have not tested yet, check the next test dates and the college's score deadline before deciding.

Many colleges also say they will consider scores only if they help you. Read the exact wording. "We will not penalize you for not submitting" and "we will use the score only to your benefit" are different promises, and neither one guarantees an award.

A family can also run a quick two-column comparison. In one column, list each school and whether the scholarship chart uses scores. In the other, list your best score, your weighted or unweighted GPA, and whether the school accepts superscoring. The goal is to see which schools reward a score and which do not.

What does it cost to send scores?

Sending scores can add to the application budget. Testing fees, score reports, and extra test dates can add up across several colleges. Our post on admission test costs and score reports for the Class of 2027 covers fee waivers and which reports are free.

Before you pay, ask three questions:

• Does this college accept self-reported scores until I enroll?
• Is an official report required only after admission?
• Will a fee waiver cover the report?

If your family qualifies for a testing fee waiver, ask your school counselor early. Waivers can cover testing and a set number of score reports, and the rules come from the testing organization and your school.

How should you handle scholarships that need scores?

Make a short list of the scholarships that list a score or a test-based range. Put the application deadline, the score deadline, and the document each one needs on one page. Some scholarships have a priority date that is earlier than the admission deadline. Our Class of 2027 scholarship calendar can help you place those dates between November and March.

For automatic merit awards, the college decides without a separate application. Our guide to finding automatic merit scholarships before you apply shows how to read those charts. If a chart lists a score, a test-optional applicant should ask which column applies to them.

For competitive scholarships, such as honors programs or named awards, ask what the review committee sees. In some programs, an application with no score may be scored on a different rubric. That is fine as long as you know it up front.

What about students who cannot test or do not test well?

Not every family can get to a test center, pay for prep, or take a test more than once. Those barriers are real, and many colleges adopted test-optional policies partly because of them. If you do not test, make the rest of your application easy to read.

• Show your course choices. Advanced, honors, dual enrollment, or career-focused classes tell a story that a score cannot.
• Add context. A school counselor or a short additional information section can explain work, family duties, or a school with limited offerings.
• Ask about alternatives. Some colleges offer a portfolio, an interview, or a short written response for scholarship consideration.
• Keep your grades steady. Our post on senior-year grades and scholarship conditions explains why the mid-year report can affect awards.

A student who skips testing has not given up the chance at merit aid at most schools. The point is to know the rule at each school before you decide.

A simple plan for the next four weeks

Use this order so you are not guessing near a deadline.

1. Week 1: For each college on your list, copy the testing rule and the scholarship rule from its website. Note the date.
2. Week 2: Compare your scores, if you have them, with the middle range. Mark each school as "send," "skip," or "ask."
3. Week 3: Send your questions to the schools marked "ask." Check on fee waivers and score report costs.
4. Week 4: Update your deadline sheet. Add the score dates and scholarship dates next to the application and FAFSA dates.

If you plan to start in January 2027 instead, the same steps apply, but the dates are sooner. Ask each college whether scholarships are available for spring entry and whether scores are used for those awards.

When you are ready to compare real costs, build your free CollegeLens plan and add each college's net price next to its scholarship rules. Remember to file the FAFSA too, because many colleges review it for need-based aid even when your scholarship is based on merit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do test-optional colleges give merit scholarships without scores?

Many do, but each college sets its own rules. Some use grades and courses only, some use scores to set the award level, and some require scores for certain programs. Check the scholarship page and ask the office to confirm in writing.

Should I send a score that is below the college's middle range?

It is less likely to help. If the college says it will consider scores only to your benefit, a lower score may not matter. If you are unsure, ask the admissions office how they treat scores that fall below the published range.

Can I send scores after I apply?

Often yes, but deadlines vary. Some scholarships have a score deadline that is earlier than the final admission deadline. Ask whether the college accepts self-reported scores and when official reports are due.

Where do I find a college's testing policy for Fall 2027?

Look at the admissions page for first-year applicants, the scholarship page, and the college's Common Data Set. If a page lists a different year, confirm with the admissions office.

-- Sravani at CollegeLens