Worried About the SAT? Some Top Schools Don't Require It.

The SAT can cause a lot of anxiety for college applicants, especially those reaching for some of the country's top colleges and universities. But as The New York Times recently reported, Smith College and Wake Forest University are going to stop requiring entrance exams for students planning to enter college in 2009. If your scores don't strengthen your application, don't send them.

Smith and Wake Forest are part of a growing list of schools that question the ability of standardized tests to predict student success. They also recognize that SATs and ACTs are biased in favor of those applicants with college-educated parents and significant financial resources. Bennington, Bowdoin, Bard and dozens of other well-respected schools had previously made standardized test scores optional in an effort to broaden their applicant pools.

But be sure to read the fine print. At Dickinson College, for example, SAT or ACT scores are optional for admissions, but they are required for academic scholarships. Learn more . . .

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