Blog/Does USC Require SAT? No, USC Is Test-Optional
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Does USC Require SAT? No, USC Is Test-Optional
No. USC is test-optional for students applying now (fall 2027 entry). You will not be disadvantaged if you skip SAT and ACT. If you want scores considered, send official reports.
Larry Learns Team
Updated
No. First-year students may apply to USC without SAT or ACT scores. USC's test-optional FAQ carries no entry year, and the cycle open now is fall 2027 entry. Early Action and Early Decision closed November 1, 2026; Regular Decision for most majors is due January 10, 2027. Applicants will not be penalized or put at a disadvantage if they choose not to submit. If you want scores considered, USC requires official reports from the testing agency, not a self-report for the review file.
When you apply you indicate whether you plan to submit scores. Finish any test at least one month before your application date if you want it in the file. Merit scholarships are also holistic and are not GPA or score formulas. Merit scholarship consideration required applying by November 1 (Early Action or Early Decision), and that date has passed; Dance, Dramatic Arts, and Music applicants are considered if they apply by December 1. Home-schooled applicants are also test-optional, though USC likes some externally graded work (SAT/ACT, AP, college courses). International applicants are not required to send SAT/ACT, but non-native English speakers still show proficiency. Codes: SAT 4852, ACT 0470.
If you opt in, send the agency file. The FAQ says official scores are required for consideration, sent directly from the testing agency. If you opt out, do not leave the Common App toggle on 'will submit' or the portal will wait forever.
What To Do With the Next Test Dates
The next SAT dates after this update are December 5, 2026 and March 6, 2027. The next ACT dates are December 12, 2026 and February 27, 2027. Register on the official site, not through a prep company. If this school is required, a test date you cannot enter is not a plan. If this school is optional, sit only if you will use the score somewhere.
The bank is 30,000+ questions on iPhone, Android, and the web with the same account. Free accounts get three quizzes a day, five questions by default. Ace at $19/month removes both daily caps. Official full-length practice stays in Bluebook. Daily practice is start a free practice set.
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How This School Differs From a Score-Range Page
The score page is the band for people who sent numbers. This page is: you may skip, and if you do not skip, USC wants official scores.
Practice Is Separate From the Policy
A required school does not grade your homework. An optional school does not forbid a test date. A test-free campus will not read the SAT in admissions even if the PDF is in the portal. The work is still five questions a day if any campus on the list will use a number. The bank is 30,000+ questions on iPhone, Android, and the web with the same account. Free accounts get three quizzes a day, five questions by default. Ace at $19/month removes both daily caps. Official full-length practice stays in Bluebook. Khan Academy Official SAT Prep is the lesson when a named miss needs a teacher. Larry Learns is the dose. The next SAT dates after this update are December 5, 2026 (register by November 20, late registration through November 24) and March 6, 2027. The next ACT dates are December 12, 2026 (register by November 9, late deadline November 29) and February 27, 2027. Registration is on College Board or ACT, not inside a quiz app. For USC Regular Decision on January 10, the December 5 SAT fits USC's advice to finish testing at least one month before you apply; the December 12 ACT falls a few days short of that.
USC's operational rules, in order. Test-optional, and USC states applicants are not penalized or put at a disadvantage for withholding scores. If you do want scores considered they must be official, sent directly from the testing agency, and USC asks for them at least one month before your application date, which is earlier than most schools. SAT code 4852, ACT code 0470. USC also states it has never awarded merit aid using score formulas or cut-offs, so an optional submission is not a scholarship lever.
Mistakes Specific to This School
The USC-specific miss is self-reporting a screenshot and assuming that is the review file. USC's FAQ says official test scores are required if you want testing considered. The second miss is leaving the Common App toggle on 'will submit' after you decide to skip. The portal will wait for a report that is not coming. Flip the toggle. The third miss is assuming test-optional also delayed merit. USC says merit is holistic and not a score cutoff, and the scholarship clock was November 1; for Dance, Dramatic Arts, or Music it is December 1. Home-schooled applicants are test-optional too, but USC likes some externally graded work. International applicants are not required to send SAT/ACT; non-native English speakers still show proficiency. Codes 4852 and 0470.
Frequently Asked Questions About Does USC Require SAT
Does USC require the SAT for fall 2027?
No. USC is test-optional and states applicants are not penalized for withholding scores. Its FAQ is undated, so confirm on USC's page in the week you submit.
Can I self-report USC SAT scores?
USC's FAQ says official test scores are required if you want testing considered.
Does skipping the SAT hurt USC merit aid?
USC says merit selection is holistic and has never used score cutoffs. Its merit deadline was November 1; for Dance, Dramatic Arts, or Music it is December 1.
Do home-schooled applicants need the SAT at USC?
No, but USC recommends some externally graded evidence.
Should I take the SAT anyway?
Yes if another college requires it, or if you want USC to consider an official score.
USC will not force the test date. Required schools will. start a free practice set if you still need a number.
