LSU Just Brought Back the ACT Requirement. Here's What Louisiana Families Need to Know.

By Dr. Paul Carey Jr., PhD — Founder, The LaddersPrep Louisiana Initiative

If you have a sophomore or junior in Louisiana right now, this one's for you.

In February 2026, the LSU Board of Supervisors voted to reinstate standardized test scores as a requirement for admissions. Starting with students applying for summer 2027, anyone with a high school GPA below 3.5 will be required to submit ACT or SAT scores.

Let me say that again: if your student's GPA is below 3.5, LSU will require a test score.

That changes the game for a lot of families.

What Actually Happened

LSU went test-optional back in 2018. The idea was that other parts of a student's application — recommendation letters, essays, extracurriculars — could tell a more complete story than a single test score.

And for a while, enrollment boomed. LSU had record freshman classes year after year.

But the data told a different story. According to LSU's interim Provost, students admitted under test-optional policies had retention rates approximately 4% lower than students who submitted scores. Their GPAs were also about 0.3 points lower on average. The university decided that test scores, while not the only factor, still provide valuable information.

So they brought the requirement back — not as a minimum cutoff, but as one component of a holistic admissions process.

Why This Matters for TOPS

Here's the part that most coverage of this news misses: TOPS has always required an ACT score. Test-optional admissions didn't change that. Whether or not LSU required a score for admissions, your student still needed a qualifying ACT composite to receive TOPS funding.

So for families focused on TOPS, the LSU decision doesn't change the scholarship equation. But it does change the urgency equation. If your student was planning to skip the ACT and apply test-optional, that door is closing. Now they need a score for admissions AND for TOPS.

That means the ACT isn't optional anymore. It's essential.

What This Means for Your Timeline

If your student is currently a junior (Class of 2027), this policy applies directly to them. Here's what to think about:

The remaining ACT test dates for 2026 are June 13 and July 11. There are additional dates in the fall — September, October, and December. That gives your student up to five more chances to take the ACT before the application window opens.

But here's what I tell every family I work with: don't wait for the fall. The students who start preparing now and take the June and July exams have a massive advantage. They get two real test experiences during the summer, when school isn't competing for their time and attention. They walk into senior year with a score already in hand.

The students who wait until October or December? They're juggling applications, senior year coursework, and test prep all at once. It's not impossible, but it's a lot harder.

The Average LSU Student Scores a 27

This is worth knowing. The average ACT score among LSU students is 27. The 25th percentile is 24 and the 75th percentile is 30.

That means if your student is scoring in the 18-22 range right now, there's real work to be done — not just for TOPS, but for competitive positioning at LSU itself.

The good news: that work is completely doable. The ACT is a pattern-based test. The same types of questions, the same trap structures, and the same strategies appear on every single exam. Students who learn those patterns see significant improvement. In my experience, students who commit to a focused preparation program routinely improve by multiple points.

What I'd Tell You Over Coffee

Look — this news isn't something to panic about. The ACT has always mattered in Louisiana because of TOPS. LSU's decision just makes it matter for one more reason.

But it IS something to act on. And the difference between acting now versus acting in September is often the difference between walking into the test confident and walking in stressed.

If your student is a sophomore or junior, here's the conversation I'd have with them: "The test is coming. It's not about being smart enough — it's about preparation. And the earlier we start, the more advantages we build."

That's what our initiative is about. The LaddersPrep Louisiana Initiative exists because access to focused, expert-led ACT strategy shouldn't depend on where you live or what you can afford. Louisiana families deserve a program built specifically for their situation — and that situation now includes LSU requiring a score.

If you want to talk about what this means for your student specifically, reach out. I do free strategy calls where we look at your student's current position and map out the path forward. No pressure, no pitch — just a real conversation about where your student stands and what's possible.

paul@laddersprep.com | DM on Instagram @laddersprep | laddersprep.com

Creating advantages. 🪜

TOPS award amounts vary by institution. Visit LOSFA.la.gov for current details.