The road to college is an exciting journey filled with important decisions, from exploring schools to crafting an application that reflects your strengths. At Hopkins, we take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and test scores are just one piece of the puzzle. Whether you’re deciding when to take exams or still weighing your options, thoughtful planning can help you feel more prepared and confident.
Our Standardized Testing Policy
For students applying for Fall 2026 and beyond, standardized testing is required. Our university took a deep dive into research on standardized testing and looked closely at three years of test-optional admissions data. With input from faculty, we found that test scores—when considered alongside the rest of a student’s application—are a relevant component of the review process.
Standardized test scores help our admissions committee to better understand your preparation for the academic environment at Hopkins. You can find the full details on our testing policy here.
How We Use Testing in a Holistic Review
At Hopkins, your application tells us your story—your academic strengths, extracurricular passions, and personal character. When you submit test scores, we consider them in context with everything else, like your transcript, activities, essays, and letters of recommendation. Strong scores can be an additional way to showcase your academic skills, but they’re never the only thing that matters.
When it comes to evaluating testing, we superscore, meaning if you take the SAT or ACT more than once and submit multiple scores, we consider your highest section scores across all test dates.
For more insight into how we review the entire application, check out this video on our holistic approach.
What About AP Exams, ACT Science, and Other Optional Tests?
Beyond the SAT or ACT, you might be wondering about AP exams or the optional Science and Writing sections of the ACT. These aren’t required, but they can add value to your application, especially if they highlight your strengths in areas of interest. For example:
- Scored well on AP English Language and Composition and planning to major in writing seminars? That could reinforce your writing skills.
- Got a top ACT Science score and want to major in biology? It might show your strong foundation in the subject.
If you believe your scores on optional exams accurately reflect your academic abilities, submitting them can provide the admissions committee with important insight into your strengths. If you choose not to, the admissions committee will look for evidence of your academic abilities in other elements of your application, like your transcript.
Tips & Resources for Test Prep
- Choose Your Dates: We recommend testing in the spring of your junior year and the fall of your senior year. You can find deadlines for the SAT and ACT on their respective websites.
- Start Early: Give yourself enough time to study so you can spread out the prep. It’s recommended to start at least 3–6 months before your test date.
- Use Official Study Materials: The SAT and ACT provide free practice tests that mimic the real exam. Take advantage of them!
- Practice Under Real Conditions: Simulate test day by timing yourself and taking full-length practice tests.
- Remember That Scores Aren’t Everything: Your grades, activities, and essays matter just as much.
Keep in mind that standardized testing is just one piece of your application. Focus on telling your full story, and we’ll focus on getting to know you.
