August 2026: Selective Colleges Drop Supplemental Essays, Re-Embrace Testing

A new analysis of the 2026-27 admissions cycle reveals two significant, divergent trends at selective universities: a push to reduce application burdens by cutting supplemental essays, and a widespread return to requiring standardized test scores.

According to a report in The Washington Post published August 3, 2026, "some schools are dropping supplemental essays" while "more top schools are requiring ACT or SAT scores" for the current application season. This creates a complex landscape for applicants targeting elite institutions, where the easing of one hurdle coincides with the reinstatement of another.

The movement away from school-specific essays is framed as an effort to reduce barriers and streamline the application process. However, this trend runs counter to another major shift: the rapid retreat from test-optional policies that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Post notes that "more top schools are requiring" scores again, a development corroborated by other admissions analysts. Data from Applerouth indicates that "score submission is rising — especially in highly selective early pools," suggesting that even at schools with optional policies, submitting strong scores is becoming increasingly important for competitive applicants.

This dual development points to a recalibration in holistic review. Schools appear to be seeking efficiency and standardized metrics of academic preparedness (test scores) while attempting to lessen the time-intensive, creative labor (supplemental essays) required of applicants. For families navigating this cycle, the advice is clear: carefully research the specific requirements of each target school, as policies are now in significant flux. The era of universally test-optional applications for top-tier schools is ending, even as some institutions experiment with simplifying other application components.