August 2026: Top Colleges Drop Supplemental Essays While Reinstating Testing Requirements

August 3, 2026 — A significant dual policy shift is reshaping the admissions landscape at highly selective colleges and universities this application season. According to a Washington Post report, many top institutions are simultaneously dropping the requirement for school-specific supplemental essays while reinstating mandatory standardized testing requirements, creating a new calculus for applicants targeting elite schools.

The Supplemental Essay Retreat The Washington Post reports that "some schools are dropping the requirement that students write essays specific to their school." This represents a notable departure from recent practice where applicants to selective institutions typically faced multiple institution-specific essay prompts in addition to the Common Application personal statement. The change could streamline applications but may complicate efforts for students to demonstrate specific institutional fit.

The Testing Mandate Returns Concurrently, the Post notes that "more top schools are requiring ACT or SAT scores" again. This reversal of pandemic-era test-optional policies aligns with announcements from several selective institutions that have confirmed they will return to test-required admissions beginning with the Fall 2026 application cycle. As noted by Compass Prep, this decision is "rooted in" institutional assessment of what predicts academic success.

These parallel developments create a new admissions dynamic where applicants face reduced writing burdens but renewed pressure to prepare for and submit standardized test scores. The changes come amid broader shifts in enrollment strategies and increasing application volumes at selective institutions, as documented by multiple admissions analysts tracking the 2026 cycle.

While specific institutions implementing these changes aren't named in the available reports, the trend appears concentrated among highly selective colleges and universities. The dual policy shift represents one of the most concrete changes to elite admissions requirements in recent years, potentially affecting application strategies for thousands of students targeting competitive institutions this fall.