For years students build their GPA, stack leadership roles, join extracurriculars and polish essays late at night only to learn that one Saturday morning test could now make or break their chances at attending UM.
With the University of Miami reinstating SAT/ACT requirements for the class of 2026 and beyond, students are once again facing the pressure of high-stakes testing. Though the policy is framed as a step toward fairness, it’s just another barrier for qualified students.
Early Decision statistics show just how competitive admissions have become. For the fall 2025 cycle, the University of Miami accepted 44% of Early Decision applicants, admitting 1,062 students out of 2,395 applicants, according to the University.
While this rate is higher than regular decisions, it highlights the growing selectivity as the ED rate dropped by 4% since the previous year.
Standardized tests focus on narrowed skills like timed math equations or memorized vocabulary, predicting short term performance in an academic setting. These tests do not capture curiosity, creativity or collaboration, which are all qualities that drive students’ contributions to their college communities.
Junior marketing major Marina Boudreau explains her experience.
“Personally, I’ve never been the strongest test taker, so standardized testing has always felt daunting and almost impossible at times,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that so much of one’s collegiate future can hinge on a single exam, and I don’t think that’s entirely fair or an accurate reflection of one’s skills.”
In early 2025, UM announced that they would reinstate the standardized test requirements for applicants after several years of operating under a test-optional policy. The decision to go test-optional in fall of 2021 followed a nationwide wave from multiple institutions that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were facing widespread test center closures, unequal access to testing opportunities and quarantine protocols.
While many schools have decided to keep their test-optional policies permanently, others like the University of South Florida, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Georgia have returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores. This national divide poses a deeper question of what standardized tests actually measure and what role they should play in defining college readiness.
“The University is reinstating the test score policy to provide an additional data point as part of its holistic review process, and it is important to note that the University’s internal data analysis shows that standardized testing is a predictor of academic success,” The University said in a statement to The Hurricane.
One of the largest criticisms of standardized testing is its close connection to income. Wealthier students have access to test prep courses, private tutoring and the ability to retake exams multiple times. They are also more likely to secure extra-time accommodations through documented disabilities. For some, standardized testing has become yet another area where resources can tilt the playing field.
Lower income and first generation students frequently face barriers that make it difficult to perform at the same level as their higher income, continuing generation peers. As The 74 reports, standardized exams often “favor privilege over potential,” turning what should be a measure of academic readiness into a reflection of socioeconomic advantage. Even with test-optional policies, underlying disparities remain. Students with strong scores tend to submit them, while those without remain at a disadvantage.
Supporters of standardized testing argue that exams like the SAT and ACT restore fairness to the college admission process. Unlike essays or extracurriculars, often influenced by access to mentorship, editing or expensive experiences, test scores offer a consistent metric for evaluating students from different schools and backgrounds. High school GPAs can vary widely depending on the specific schools inflation policies, course rigor and district standards, making it difficult for admissions officers to compare applicants fairly.
Additionally, research from the College Board and Opportunity Insights showed that test scores combined with GPA can be strong predictors of college performance and retention. Advocates also argue test-optional policies create hidden inequalities that skew the data. Students with high scores tend to submit them, while those with lower scores often choose not to. This distorts the reported average upward, creating a misleading impression of overall performance.
While these points raise valid concerns, they overlook how standardized testing itself reflects and reinforces structural inequities. Objective measures are only fair if everyone has equal opportunity to prepare for them, which is rarely the case when it comes to any college application requirement. All standardized testing, essays and even GPA can be influenced based on the economic diversity across applicants.
“University undergraduate admission counselors will continue to use a holistic process to review each applicant, carefully considering a student’s academic record, extracurricular activities, including community involvement and work, personal statement, and test scores,” the University said in a statement to The Hurricane.
Standardized tests only capture a tiny piece of an individual’s intelligence versus the whole student. The SAT and ACT emphasize speed, memorization and test-taking strategies, in contrast to the qualities many employers value, such as creativity, flexibility, collaboration and leadership. As the University of Chicago found, high school GPA actually outperforms standardized tests in predicting long-term success, since it reflects years of sustained effort and engagement.
Junior Psychology major Anika Pande agrees that test scores should not define a person’s academic potential.
“I believe GPA is a stronger indicator of academic ability than standardized tests,” she said. “Although I didn’t submit an SAT score, I’ve maintained a 3.8 GPA at UM, which demonstrates my ability to handle rigorous coursework.”
Though there will never be a truly equal way to determine college admissions, standardized testing is one of the more inequitable. By reinstating the testing requirement, the University of Miami risks discouraging capable, well-rounded students who might feel defined by a single number rather than their potential to thrive within a diverse academic community.
UM’s return to required testing may provide admissions officers with data, but it risks shrinking opportunity for students without equal resources. Beyond test scores, essays, recommendations and extracurricular achievements offer a richer picture of a student’s potential, highlighting creativity, leadership, resilience and impact which are all qualities that standardized tests cannot measure.