Is Virginia Tech Test Optional? Yes, Through Fall 2028

No, Virginia Tech does not require the SAT or ACT. Its first-year requirements page says: "Virginia Tech is test-optional for students entering through Fall 2028." That covers the 2026-27 admissions cycle (students entering fall 2027) and the cycle after it. On the application you choose whether you want your scores reviewed, and Virginia Tech says that if you leave them out, "it will not impact your admission decision."

This page covers the policy and the dates. For how a specific score compares, see SAT and ACT scores for Virginia Tech. Policy sources: Virginia Tech's first-year admissions requirements and its dates and deadlines for 2026-2027 (both checked October 1, 2026).

Virginia Tech's Test-Optional Policy Through Fall 2028

Virginia Tech lists "Standardized test scores (if applicable; test-optional for students entering through Fall 2028)" as one item in its academic review, next to the rigor of your courses, your grades and their trend over time, and the major you request. Virginia Tech reviews applications by major, so that last item matters more here than at many schools.

What the policy means in practice:

• You decide on the application. The application asks whether you would like your scores reviewed.
• Current seniors and current juniors are both covered. "Through Fall 2028" includes students entering in fall 2027 and fall 2028. Virginia Tech's pages do not describe a policy for fall 2029 or later.
• Home-schooled applicants are test-optional too. For students from home-school or non-accredited programs, Virginia Tech lists SAT or ACT scores as something to provide "if choosing to have scores reviewed."
• English proficiency testing is separate. Applicants whose native language is not English must still demonstrate English proficiency through testing. That requirement has nothing to do with the SAT or ACT.

Not every school on your list will work this way. The University of Tennessee requires the SAT or ACT, for example. For a wider view, see which colleges require the SAT.

How Virginia Tech Reviews Scores If You Send Them

Virginia Tech's process is built on self-reporting. Applicants who attended high school in the United States submit a Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) record, and that is where test scores go. The first-year checklist is direct about it: transcripts and score reports are not reviewed at the time of application.

The rules, from Virginia Tech's STARS page:

• Two steps to opt in. Choose to have scores reviewed on your application, then select "Yes – make my test scores available" on the Enter Exams tab in STARS.
• What you report. STARS requires the SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections, and/or the ACT Composite, Math, English, and Reading scores.
• What Virginia Tech actually considers. The page says "the only scores Virginia Tech considers during application review are the SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading/Writing scores and the ACT English and Math scores."
• No Writing. Virginia Tech does not look at the Writing section of either test.
• Scores must match exactly. Have your score reports in front of you when you fill in STARS.
• Official reports come later. If you are offered admission and choose to attend, you must provide official score reports. The deadline page lists first-year official test scores as due July 15 (June 30 for Summer Start).

The ACT detail is unusual and worth a second look. Virginia Tech asks ACT takers to report the Composite and Reading scores, but says it considers only English and Math. ACT Science is not among the scores it requests or considers.

Students who attended high school outside the United States and submit transcripts instead of STARS can include scores on the Common App or upload a score report in the Applicant Portal.

Does Virginia Tech Superscore?

Virginia Tech's admissions pages do not state a superscore policy. The requirements page, the STARS page, and the first-year checklist say which scores to report and which ones are considered, but none of them says how scores from more than one test date are combined.

So do not assume it either way. If you have two test dates with different section highs, email Virginia Tech Undergraduate Admissions at admissions@vt.edu and ask how to enter them on STARS before you submit. For background on how the practice works at schools that do publish a policy, see SAT superscoring explained.

Virginia Tech Deadlines for the 2026-27 Cycle

Virginia Tech's decision plans page describes two first-year plans, and both are non-binding. It calls Early Action the most common plan among first-year applicants.

Two more dates from the same page: the Virginia Tech General Scholarship application and the FAFSA filing deadline for General Scholarship applicants fall on January 22, and the FAFSA priority deadline is March 1. Note that the deadline page labels Regular Decision as "Space Available," which is a good reason to treat November 15 as your real deadline. If the plan types are new to you, read Early Action vs. Early Decision.

Which Test Dates Still Fit

Virginia Tech does not publish a "last test date." The limit is practical: your scores have to be on your STARS record by the STARS deadline for your plan. Here is how the remaining dates line up, using College Board's SAT dates and ACT's test dates.

One catch for Early Action. The November 7 SAT reports on November 20, after the November 15 application deadline but before the December 1 STARS deadline. That means you would answer the "review my scores" question on the application before you see that score. Virginia Tech's application policies page says changes to your test-optional preference must be made before the deadline for your decision plan, and it lists November 15 for Early Action and January 15 for Regular Decision. So for Early Action, the November 7 SAT only works if you are willing to opt in before you know the result. For Regular Decision, the December 5 SAT and December 12 ACT both report before the January 15 cutoff.

What a Competitive Score Looks Like at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech's Common Data Set page says its files are available by request rather than posted, so the best public source is the federal NCES College Navigator, which publishes the figures Virginia Tech reports to the U.S. Department of Education. The latest data there is for first-time students who enrolled in fall 2024.

In that class, 41% of enrolled students submitted SAT scores and 9% submitted ACT scores. Even if no student sent both, that is at most half the class, so at least half enrolled with no score in their file. NCES lists 52,498 applicants for fall 2024 with 55% admitted. The pool has grown since: Virginia Tech says it received more than 58,000 applications for approximately 7,200 spaces for fall 2026.

How to use the table: the federal data reports section scores, not a combined SAT total, and you cannot add two 25th percentiles to get a true total. As a rough guide, section scores in the mid-600s or higher, or an ACT English and Math in the high 20s, sit inside the enrolled range. Because Virginia Tech reviews by major, a strong Math score is likely to matter most for engineering and other quantitative majors.

Should You Send Your Scores to Virginia Tech?

Virginia Tech does not publish a cutoff, so this is a judgment call. A reasonable way to think about it:

• At or above the enrolled medians (about 670 Reading and Writing and 690 Math, or about a 30 ACT English and 29 ACT Math): your scores support your file. Report them.
• Inside the middle range but below the median: consider your major. A strong Math score helps a technical application more than a balanced score does.
• Below the 25th percentile: leaving scores out is a legitimate choice, and Virginia Tech says it will not impact your decision.

For a fuller framework, see should I submit my SAT scores. If you plan to retest for the November 7 SAT, Larry Learns has 25,000+ SAT and ACT practice questions on the web, iPhone, and Android, and the free plan includes 3 quizzes and 3 AI explanations a day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Virginia Tech's SAT Policy

Is Virginia Tech test-optional for fall 2027?

Yes. Virginia Tech says it is test-optional for students entering through fall 2028, which includes the fall 2027 class.

Does Virginia Tech require the SAT or ACT?

No. You choose on the application whether to have scores reviewed. Virginia Tech says that leaving scores out will not impact your admission decision.

Does Virginia Tech superscore the SAT or ACT?

Virginia Tech's admissions pages do not state a superscore policy. They say only that it considers SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores and ACT English and Math scores. Ask the admissions office how to report more than one test date.

How do I send SAT scores to Virginia Tech?

You self-report them on your STARS record, matching your score report exactly. Official score reports are required only if you are offered admission and choose to attend, and the deadline page lists them as due July 15.

When is the Virginia Tech Early Action deadline?

November 15, 2026 for the application, with the STARS record due December 1, 2026. Regular Decision is due January 15, 2027, with STARS due January 24.

Does Virginia Tech look at ACT Science or Writing?

No. Virginia Tech says it does not look at the Writing section of either test, and the only ACT scores it considers in review are English and Math.

Optional at Virginia Tech does not mean optional everywhere on your list, and a stronger Math score helps most where Virginia Tech looks hardest. Start a free practice quiz now, or create a free account to track your progress.