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Villanova, sometimes shortened to Nova, is a private Catholic university in the Philadelphia suburbs. The school is super famous for its basketball team, but they have a lot more going on. They have a strikingly beautiful campus, six undergraduate schools, a commitment to service, and much more. While they are very proud of their Augustinian Catholic status, you do not need to be catholic to go to Villanova. Last year, they had a . They have also extended their test-optional policy until 2030. Notably, they also publish how many students are accepted without test scores, and last year, 54% of their incoming class didn’t submit. So, when they say test-optional, they really mean it.

Williams is an extremely selective and well-respected liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school is small, tight-knit, and offers both an exceptional education and outstanding community. This attracts many top high school applicants, often with the fallacy that it’ll be easier to get into than the Ivy League — but that isn’t really the case anymore. Williams isn’t a member of the Ivy League, but it is like getting into the Ivy League. The acceptance rate for the class of 2028 was .

Pomona College is located in Claremont, California (think Los Angeles suburbs… even though technically, it's outside Anaheim). While Pomona is a small school with only around 1.5k undergrads, it is part of the Claremont Colleges consortium. The consortium is made up of several liberal arts schools, namely Pomona, Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer, who share a singular campus. Currently, they are still test-optional, and last year, only 44% of enrolled students sent scores. Pomona is one of the wealthiest schools out there, with a $2.8 BILLION endowment. This is incredibly high for such a small student body. They also have one of the lowest acceptance rates among liberal arts schools; last year, their acceptance rate was only 6.7%.

Boston College, sometimes just called BC, is a private Jesuit college in… well… “Boston” (it is actually a few miles outside of the city in the village of Chestnut Hill). BC is a popular choice for students looking for a suburban mid-sized college, especially those who want fun sports traditions, service opportunities, and no Greek life. Add a need-blind financial aid and test-optional admissions policies, and it is no wonder that over 40,000 students applied to be part of the Class of 2026. Last year, their acceptance rate was around 15%, so BC is pretty selective. If you hope to get in, you want your application to be as strong as possible, and part of that is writing a great supplement.

Wake Forest is a private, purpose-minded university committed to the . The school was founded in Wake Forest, North Carolina in 1834, but moved to a 340-acre Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the 1950s. And it’s beautiful. What really matters, though, is that Wake Forest offers an exceptional education for just under undergraduates. These students have access to more than 50 majors, more than 60 minors, and more than 60% of students take part in an academic study abroad experience. 99% of classes have fewer than 50 students, making Wake Forest an ideal school for students who want access to their professors and opportunities for mentorship.

The University of Richmond is not a large public university, though we understand why the name might have had you fooled. It is actually a relatively small liberal arts school in Richmond, Virginia. With a truly eye-catching campus, a popular business school, and high academic standards, U Richmond is an excellent choice for those looking for southern liberal arts schools. Currently, they are test-optional and have around a acceptance rate. One note: they took over 60% of their class last year during ED/EA (46% during ED specifically)… so if you are serious about becoming a Spider, considering ED is not a bad choice here. The University of Richmond is .

Just because you are going to college doesn’t mean you can’t be a city girl, because much like Yung Miami, with the University of Miami, Miami is right in the name. Located in Miami-Dade’s Coral Gables, U Miami is a private research university. It is home to around 10k undergrads and 12 schools, including specialized colleges like the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, Miami Herbert Business School and Frost School of Music. The school has once again extended its test-optional policy and has around

The University of Maryland is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. With 12 schools and more than 90 undergraduate majors, UMD has a lot of choices for its nearly 30k undergrads. The school has only been getting more popular, especially for out-of-state students. While UMD is a state school, they get around three times the number of out-of-state applicants compared to those in-state. Last year, their overall acceptance rate was around 44%, and their out-of-state acceptance rate was closer to 40%. They have also extended their policy again for this year.

Located in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a medium-sized private research university known for its top-notch STEM programs. It was founded in 1900 by thee Andrew Carnegie (the OG steel billionaire, for those not in the know) and is primarily known for engineering, computer science, and business. It’s also a highly competitive school, with the acceptance rate for 2023-2024 at 11.4%.

Santa Clara University is a private, mid-sized Jesuit university in, you guessed it, Santa Clara, CA, aka Silicon Valley. SCU is best known for its business and engineering programs. They have extended their test-optional through 2024, and in previous years, only around 41% of admitted students submitted test scores. Their acceptance rate has fallen to around, with their business and engineering schools typically being more competitive than their school of arts and sciences.

Washington and Lee is a liberal arts university in Lexington, Virginia. With only around 2,000 undergrads, this small school sits between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains. What we are trying to say is the area is gorgeous. The name of the college comes from George Washington, the school’s first significant benefactor, and unfortunately, Robert E. Lee… yes, Confederate general Robert E Lee was a former president of the college… However, W&L has become a far more accepting place since the 1800s.

Southern Methodist University, often called SMU, is a private research university in Dallas, Texas. SMU is surprisingly non-sectarian in its teaching… aka not as methodist as its name suggests. The school has become more buzzy over the years, partially for its undergraduate business school and campus traditions. They have extended their test-optional policy for another year and have around a 47% acceptance rate.

Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. With only about 1,800 undergrads, it’s small. While it was initially a women’s college, it has been coed since the 1960s. The college is somewhat of a hidden gem, especially for those looking for a classic New England liberal arts experience. They are committed to being test-optional and usually have around a 40% acceptance rate.

Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, aka the Chicago suburbs. Northwestern is probably most famous for its journalism and music programs, but the university has over 130 majors and minors. Their acceptance rate is , and they take around half of their class during early decisions. They also extended their test-optional policy for at least another year. 

UMD, or the University of Maryland, is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. It’s a big college with about 30,000 undergrads, 12 schools, and more than 90 majors for undergraduates. There is a lot to love about UM, including excellent academics and sports. Last year, their acceptance rate was . This was significantly lower than in the past two years as the amount of applicants has risen sharply.

Lehigh University is a small research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania located between New York City and Philadelphia — close enough to both for a day trip. The school has the resources of a large research school, but with a compact student boy of 7,400 students overall and 5,600 undergraduates among six undergraduate colleges. 85% of the undergraduate students are in the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering & Applied Science, and the College of Business. The average class size is , and Lehigh leans into emerging technology, even encouraging professors to come up with class ideas that incorporate Artificial Intelligence technologies into students’ creative processes. Students appreciate this, and they receive 15,000 applications annually. The acceptance rate is .