The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a large public land-grant research university in, well, Madison, Wisconsin, doncha know. Madison is a quintessential college town. Of course, there are other things going on, but since Wisco students make up 20% of the city’s population, it really feels like a college town. Part of that may have to do with U Wisc’s on-campus culture, which is on the lively side, especially if you love public service,  live sports, or tailgates (go Badgers!). They extended their test-optional policy again this year and last year, only about 54% of enrolled students submitted test scores. However, they do have some specific high school credits that you need to have to apply (and some they recommend). Most of them are pretty standard, but you should double-check that you have completed the required units, just in case.  Last year, their acceptance rate was 43%, at least for out-of-state applicants (it is more like 60% if you are a resident of the Badger State).

Tufts is a highly-respected university minutes outside of Boston, Massachusetts. They offer more than 90 majors, and have strong research focus. Over 1,500 students work in over 370,000 square feet of research labs across Tufts. Tufts students are known for being curious, globally minded, and engaged with their communities. And, while being a research institution, Tufts makes room for students to explore and try new things, building intellectual bridges across subjects. 6,600 undergraduates take courses through three colleges: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. There are also four campuses, each with its own personality.

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 23% acceptance rate. 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 only 7.5%.

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 greater good. 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 5,500 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 23% 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 remaining test option for this application cycle.

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 19% acceptance rate.

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 test-optional policy again for this year.