What SAT score do you need for Ohio State?

Ohio State requires SAT or ACT scores from first-year applicants to its Columbus campus, and it superscores, keeping your teen's best Reading and Writing and best Math across every sitting. A senior sitting around 1250 should retake rather than stop testing.

Does Ohio State require the SAT?

Yes: Ohio State requires an SAT or ACT score from every first-year applicant to its Columbus campus. The admissions office says it plainly on its application steps page: standardized test scores from the ACT or SAT are required. The one exception is for applicants who will have been out of high school for two or more years by the time they enroll.

A few details trip families up. Scores must come straight from the testing agency, so a screenshot or a number typed into the application does not count. The easiest way is to list Ohio State, SAT code 1592, when your teen registers for a test. If a score is canceled by the testing agency, Ohio State needs a valid replacement or the admission can be canceled.

The SAT essay is not required, and on the ACT the science section is not needed either. Your teen can pick whichever test suits them; both are accepted.

The misconception: Ohio State is test optional

Ohio State's own admissions page says scores are required for Columbus first-years, so the test-optional plan many families still hear about does not apply there.

A question we hear a lot: a senior has a 3.9 GPA and a 1250, believes Ohio State is test optional, and wants to apply without scores and be done with the SAT. Is that the smart move, or should he retake?

Carson's answer on the video was a firm retake, and he gave it even while treating the school as test optional. His reasoning was that test-optional schools still prefer students who send qualifying scores, so an applicant with a strong score is in a better spot than one who sends nothing. With scores now required at Columbus, the question of skipping goes away. The score your teen sends will be read either way, so the only open question is how strong it is.

Policies change, and older articles and forum threads linger in search results for years. Check the requirement on undergrad.osu.edu before your teen builds a plan around anything else, ours included. If you are weighing the same choice for other schools on the list, we walk through when sending scores to a test-optional college helps.

Is a 1250 close enough to Ohio State to keep testing?

Yes. Carson's rule is simple: if your teen is about a hundred points from the goal score, keep going.

"Being that close to it," he says, "absolutely take the shot." His view is that a student at 1250 is near enough to the score Ohio State's admitted students post that the time spent studying is worth it. The goal is to get as high as possible before the deadline rather than settle at the first number. Compare your teen's score to the middle 50% range in the table above. The current admitted-student middle 50% is 1280 to 1470. A 1250 is 30 points below that range, but Ohio State says it has no minimum SAT requirement and reviews the entire application. Use the range to help plan a retake, not to predict an admission decision.

Superscoring makes a retake low-risk. Ohio State takes the highest Reading and Writing score and the highest Math score from separate sittings and combines them. A weaker day on one section does not erase a stronger day from before. The admissions office itself says testing more than once "may work to your advantage."

Real numbers help here. Amanda went from 1280 to 1390 in 3 weeks as a senior, with live classes plus weekly 1-on-1 sessions. A different student will move a different amount, and there is no promise in one family's result. But a gap of about 100 points is the kind of gap students close. For a wider look, see how much SAT scores can realistically improve.

Which SAT dates still count for Ohio State?

Ohio State must receive scores by your teen's application deadline, so the test date has to leave time for scores to arrive.

For early action (Nov. 1, 2026), Ohio State names October 3 as the last SAT date. Students testing that late must pick Ohio State as a score recipient when they register, not afterward. If your teen already tested and never sent scores, Ohio State recommends ordering them by October 16 for early action.

Regular decision closes Jan. 15, 2027. The SAT dates left in 2026 are November 7 (register by October 23) and December 5 (register by November 20). The next date after that is March 6, 2027, which falls after the regular decision deadline. Ohio State's page does not name a last SAT date for regular decision, so confirm with the admissions office that a December score will arrive in time before counting on it.

Families of seniors often worry that applying first and testing later looks bad. It does not have to; we cover how a senior can retake after applying and what to watch for.

Does the SAT score matter more for some Ohio State majors?

Yes. Getting into Ohio State and getting into your teen's intended major are two separate decisions.

After a student is found eligible for the university, Ohio State reviews the record again for the major. Its enrollment criteria page says some colleges set standards higher than the university's own, in class rank and test scores. Engineering admission is competitive, and aerospace, biomedical and mechanical engineering applicants must mark their interest on the Common Application. Actuarial science, computer and information science, data analytics, international studies and neuroscience start students as pre-majors, and admission to those majors is competitive.

A student admitted to Ohio State but not to the major begins in a pre-major program or University Exploration, and that path does not guarantee a spot later. If your teen is aiming at one of these programs, a score near the bottom of the university range leaves less room. That is one more reason a student close to the line keeps testing.

Quick answers

Does Ohio State superscore the SAT?

Yes, Ohio State superscores. It uses your teen's highest section scores from multiple test attempts, so the best Reading and Writing and the best Math can come from different days.

What is Ohio State's SAT school code?

Ohio State's SAT school code is 1592. The ACT code is 3312, and scores must be sent directly by the testing agency.

Does Ohio State accept the ACT instead of the SAT?

Yes, either test meets the requirement. The ACT science section is not needed because it is no longer part of the composite score.

Is the SAT essay required for Ohio State?

No. Ohio State does not require the essay on either the SAT or the ACT.

How do I apply to Ohio State University?

Apply by Nov. 1, 2026 for early action or Jan. 15, 2027 for regular decision, with SAT or ACT scores sent directly from the testing agency. Ohio State does not accept first-year applications for the summer term.

Sources

• Ohio State: Application information, step-by-step (Columbus campus first-years)
• Ohio State: Enrollment criteria for first-year students
• College Board: SAT dates and deadlines
• Who gets in - Columbus campus first-years - The Ohio State University