The California Institute of Technology, one of the world’s leading STEM-focused universities and a school that has topped the US News & World Report ranking of best national universities on more than one occasion, has returned to its SAT/ACT testing requirement for applicants applying during the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. We commend Caltech for keeping their word about conducting test-blind admissions for the last few admissions cycles, but we at Ivy Coach cannot say we are surprised that Caltech has returned to requiring SAT and ACT scores from applicants. Standardized tests are just too practical an indicator of academic preparedness for a highly selective school like Caltech to disregard for long.

Let’s unpack Caltech’s return to testing requirements and share some advice for academically ambitious Caltech applicants.

A Brief History Of Caltech’s Testing Shakeup

For the last two admissions cycles, Caltech maintained a test-blind policy. Note that we say test-blind, not test-optional. Ivy Coach has previously praised Caltech for being one of the only colleges in the nation to commit to the test-blind inquiry truly. Most schools that phased out testing requirements in the wake of the pandemic continued to give an admissions boost to students who submitted scores, amounting to a dishonest process that disadvantaged students who took such schools at their word that taking no standardized tests would not adversely impact their admissions odds. All else being equal, a student with a great test score will always enjoy an advantage over a student with no test score — no matter how loudly and vociferously admissions officers say to the contrary. 

Caltech, on the other hand, was committed to the test-blind principle. Admissions officers couldn’t even see applicants’ test scores if they had taken the SAT or ACT!

Everything changed, however, in April 2024, when Caltech announced a return to their former testing requirement, citing that “95 percent of the most recently enrolled class [had] taken standardized exams” despite the test-blind policy. As this data point indicates, until colleges nationwide decide to take action against testing requirements collectively, one school phasing them out will not stop applicants from going to the trouble. Moreover, the new testing requirement “reaffirm[s] [Caltech’s] commitment as a community of scientists and engineers to using all relevant data in its decision-making process,” and reaffirms its commitment “to our review process that seeks to identify these most promising STEM scholars.”

These are some compelling points! Caltech is famous for its incredibly rigorous STEM coursework. Caltech was putting this reputation at risk by admitting a class unprepared for the high-level math required to stay afloat once on campus. As long as applicants continue to take the SAT and ACT anyway, Caltech figured they should reward these efforts by considering scores. 

Ivy Coach Salutes Caltech’s New Testing Policy

We at Ivy Coach applaud Caltech for committing to integrity, no matter their testing policy. When they were test-blind, they were really test-blind. And now that they’re back to business as usual, they are not misleading anyone with a test-optional policy that would disadvantage many applicants who made the mistake of taking them at their word. 

This admissions cycle will likely shape up to be one of the most competitive ever recorded in the history of college admissions. High school seniors applying to a school as rigorous as Caltech need to wow admissions officers with an incredible standardized test score. For context, during the 2020-21 academic year at Caltech (before the test-blind policy was enacted), the middle 50% of SAT and ACT scores for the class of incoming first years was 1510-1570 and 35-36, respectively. This is one of the most competitive test profiles of any school in the country, and we expect this admissions cycle to produce score ranges that are just as impressive.

How Ivy Coach Helps Students Get the Highest Standardized Test Scores Possible

No matter the testing policy of the school of your dreams, it will always help to have a stellar SAT or ACT score under your belt when applying to a highly selective college. Fortunately, Ivy Coach’s senior tutor, Dr. Fran Bigman, who has over 20 years of tutoring experience, offers our students comprehensive tutoring with just the right blend of encouragement and challenge. 

If you would like to optimize your child’s test scores for admission to Caltech, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.