Is the SAT required for admission to top U.S. universities if my child is coming from Switzerland?

The short answer is: not always—but it’s highly recommended. Many U.S. universities are still test-optional, meaning students don’t have to submit SAT scores. However, as Swiss applicants, your child is competing in a global admissions pool. A strong SAT score offers a standardized benchmark that can validate your child’s academic abilities across borders. This is particularly important when Swiss Matura, IB, or bilingual school transcripts may be unfamiliar to U.S. admissions officers. Moreover, schools like MIT, Yale, and Georgetown have reinstated testing requirements, and many others give significant weight to high scores even in a test-optional context. At Cardinal Education, we guide Swiss families on whether and when to submit SAT scores based on your target schools, your child’s profile, and the evolving admissions landscape. When used strategically, SAT scores can give Swiss students a real competitive edge.