Even before the pandemic, the flaws with tests like the ACT and SAT were becoming increasingly more public, with a number of universities limiting their use. Today, while there are some holdouts (namely public universities in Florida and Georgia), many colleges have a test-optional route for students.
The merits of these have been hotly debated by experts, and as someone who spends a lot of time talking to experts in American college admissions, you’d better have a really good reason to consider applying without a test.
However, overseas is more of a mixed bag.
Three of the most popular universities for Americans to apply to in Europe, namely St. Andrews, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of Glasgow, have test optional admissions procedures, at least for the time being. Meanwhile, McGill in Montreal also has a test optional selection on its application. When compared to other UK and Irish universities, this is a massive change. After all, many Anglophone universities overseas have largely based their decisions on standardized exams, and don’t shy away from cutoffs.
If you’re looking to apply to one of these, however, you’re going to want to be sure that your academic profile is in great condition. A 3.0 GPA with test optional isn’t going to impress them, whereas a 3.0 GPA and strong AP scores would.
Additionally, keep in mind that the test cutoff overseas is much lower than you’re probably used to. Famously, Oxford and Cambridge have the highest cutoffs, at a 33 on the ACT or a 1500 on the SAT, but most are considerably lower than that. Australian universities in particular have low cutoffs; for some degree choices, it’s as low as 23.
If you do go this route, be prepared to have good grades, especially in whatever it is that you want to study. Also, we’ve had some success with students taking A-Levels; while it’s too detailed for here, these tests are more free-response driven and less multiple choice based, which for some students, is an attractive option.
On mainland Europe, test scores will still continue to matter, but there is an exception. Dutch Universities of Applied Science, the ones that offer HBO degrees, only require a high school diploma from the US. They are four years long, and tend to be in more applied fields than their WO counterparts (the mnemonic to remember is that HBO does “how,” while WO does “why”), which may or may not fit your needs. Additionally, despite the name, I don’t think they offer Game of Thrones, though there are castles nearby.