Many students wonder if they have to take the SAT in Dublin, or another city, to get into college. It’s not unusual for a lot of college aspirants to feel worried that they won’t be able to pass the SAT (or ACT) even if they prepare hard for it. Or if they have indeed failed the SAT, they don’t want to re-take another test but still want to enter college.

The good news is that contrary to the myth, you don’t have to take SAT (or ACT) to get into college. There are an increasing number of colleges and universities that do not see the SAT or any other standardized exams as a requirement to grant admission. If you have an aversion to standardized tests, then this is great news for you and a lot of other students who don’t perform well on them.

There are hundreds of institutions all over the US that have flexible policies towards test scores. Among the most notable are: Bryn Mawr College, Wake Forest University, Colorado College, Bates College, Colby College, Smith College, Wesleyan University, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Bowdoin College, University of Wyoming and University of Arizona. Many of these “test-optional” institutions are public and liberal arts schools.

Community colleges are another option. Generally, these colleges do not require standardized tests scores, but will otherwise require applicants to take placement tests. But if you have good enough SAT (or ACT) scores, you may be exempted from taking such tests.

There is also another option for students who do not like standardized tests. Online college courses are on the rise. Even if you have just graduated from high school, you may start your college career right away by signing up with one of these online courses for a fee. These online college courses partner with actual colleges and universities. After undergoing an online college course, you may transfer your credits to their affiliated colleges and universities where you will eventually finish your degree.

Recently, there has been an undergoing effort to request more colleges and universities to skip the formal admission process (or at least make standardized tests an option and not a requirement). These proponents feel that instead of perfect SAT scores, colleges should focus more on the student’s personal essays and strong experience in community service, as well as positive recommendations by other individuals and organizations where the student is active. In other words, colleges and universities should instead pay attention to a student’s strengths other than academics.

These changes would also benefit financially-strapped students and students from poorly-served communities who don’t have the “luxury” and time to take standardized tests more than once if they don’t do well.

Be it a test-optional college, a community college, or an online-based college, there are still a number of options awaiting students who aspire to study in college without having to take SAT in Dublin.