All Ivy League Schools Now Require SAT/ACT Scores for 2027-28 Admissions
Columbia University's June 2026 announcement completes the Ivy League's full return to standardized testing requirements, ending the test-optional era.
August 25, 2026 · 1 min read
August 25, 2026 — The Ivy League has completed its full return to standardized testing requirements, with Columbia University's June 2026 announcement making it the final member of the elite eight to reinstate mandatory SAT or ACT scores for undergraduate applicants. This marks the definitive end of the test-optional era that began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
According to a Higher Ed Dive report published on August 10, 2026, the decision by Ivy League schools to revert to test-required policies represents a significant shift in elite college admissions. The publication notes that "elite colleges are returning to the SAT and ACT," with the Ivy League leading this movement back to traditional testing requirements.
The Columbia Spectator reported in June 2026 that Columbia became "the final Ivy League school to reinstate test score requirements," which most universities had made optional in 2020. With this change, all eight Ivy League institutions — Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale — now require standardized test scores for applicants targeting the 2027-28 admissions cycle.
College admissions experts note that this development creates a clear expectation for students applying to elite institutions. As CollegeWise observed in their 2026 analysis, "Several elite schools have reinstated test-required policies in 2026, and many others strongly encourage scores even while remaining test-optional." The Ivy League's unified position now eliminates any ambiguity for applicants to these most selective universities.
The reinstatement comes as both the SAT and ACT have undergone significant redesigns, with the SAT now being a digital, multistage adaptive test. Students targeting Ivy League schools for the 2027-28 cycle must now plan to take either the SAT or ACT and submit scores as part of their applications, marking a return to pre-pandemic admissions requirements at the nation's most selective institutions.
This analysis may include estimates and projections compiled from public and primary sources. Figures can change — verify deadlines and policies with each school before acting on them.