As of October 2026. Every number below is sourced; the list is at the end.
As of October 2026, Boston University does not require a score. It is test optional. Among the first-years who enrolled and did send one, the middle half scored 1400 to 1520 on the SAT and 32 to 34 on the ACT (IPEDS, 2023). If you want a score to help the application, that is the band to aim at.
What BU's own page says
BU puts a date on the policy: "Boston University is test optional for first-year applicants applying through fall 2028 and spring 2029." The same page hands the call to the family. Students "must decide for themselves whether or not to include standardized test scores with their application for admission to Boston University."
One planning detail matters here. BU superscores both the SAT and the ACT, and uses the highest score of each section no matter which test date it came from. A student who sits the test twice has every section counted at its best.
So no score is required. The call is yours, and you make it one college at a time.
Read the band correctly
Be careful with 1400 to 1520. That band describes enrolled first-years who submitted an SAT. It is not a cutoff, and it is not the profile of everyone admitted. Only 28% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT, and 10% submitted an ACT (IPEDS, 2023). Most of the class sent no score at all.
Now the rest of the picture. BU admitted 10.8% of 80,495 applicants (IPEDS, 2023). First-years who enrolled averaged a 3.9 GPA on a 4.0 scale (Common Data Set 2024-25). A year runs about $24,402 with aid and $86,285 at full price.
Look at that GPA again. There is almost nowhere left to move on grades. A score is one of the few lines with room left on it.
How to decide whether to send
Have your student sit one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT. Then hold the result next to BU's band.
| Where the score lands | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1400 SAT or higher, or 32 ACT or higher | Send it |
| Below that | Prepare, sit the real test, then judge the new score |
| Still below after a real attempt | Hold it. Grades, course rigor and essays carry the file |
Because BU superscores, a second sitting can only help the number you end up with. Still, make the send-or-hold call college by college.
What the prep looks like
Plan 6 to 12 weeks before the first official test date, and prepare for the whole SAT or ACT every sitting, never one section.
Here is what our own students average, from our published results. Students who start at 1350 or below gain 190 SAT points (1210 to 1400). Students above 1350 gain 120 (1400 to 1520). Among the students who start at 1350 or below, 63% gain 200 points or more. On the ACT, students starting 27 or below gain 5.7 points (22 to 28). Published research puts a typical retest-with-prep gain near 30 SAT points (Briggs, 2009).
An average is not a promise, and your student may land above it or below it. But moving a 1210 to the bottom of BU's band in one season is ordinary work.
BU's bands, policy and cost all sit on its Reach page.
The move
This month, have your student sit one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT before choosing an exam. The better fit is usually obvious once both are on paper. Both mocks are free: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. Then block 6 to 12 weeks on the calendar and work the whole test. Or call 949.229.5359 and we will map the testing year with you.
Questions parents ask
Does Boston University require the SAT or ACT?
No. BU's own page says Boston University is test optional for first-year applicants applying through fall 2028 and spring 2029, and that students must decide for themselves whether or not to include standardized test scores with their application for admission to Boston University.
What SAT score is high enough for BU?
Among the first-years who enrolled and did send one, the middle half scored 1400 to 1520 on the SAT and 32 to 34 on the ACT (IPEDS, 2023). It is a band to aim at, not a cutoff, and it describes enrolled submitters rather than everyone admitted.
Is it better to take the test twice for BU?
BU superscores both the SAT and the ACT, and uses the highest score of each section no matter which test date it came from, so a second sitting can only help the number you end up with.
Written by Nick Standlea, founder of Test Prep Gurus. Updated October 2026.