Columbia Announces Return to Test-Required Policy Starting August 2027

Columbia University has announced it will require standardized testing for undergraduate applicants beginning in August 2027, making it the final Ivy League institution to return to test-required admissions after the pandemic-era test-optional period. According to Columbia's official admissions website, "Columbia will require standardized testing starting in August 2027. We will remain test optional for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle" ([Testing Policy - Columbia Undergraduate Admissions](https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/process/testing)).

This announcement completes a significant reversal across elite higher education, with six of the eight Ivy League schools now requiring SAT or ACT scores for the current 2026-2027 admissions cycle, according to multiple admissions sources ([Which Top Colleges Require SAT/ACT? Full List & Policies](https://orieladmissions.com/colleges-require-sat-act/)). Columbia's phased approach gives current high school juniors (class of 2027) one final test-optional cycle before the requirement takes effect for those applying in fall 2027 for admission in 2028.

The decision reflects a broader trend among highly selective institutions returning to standardized testing as a component of holistic review. While Columbia will maintain its test-optional policy for one more year, the university's announcement signals the definitive end of the temporary test-optional era that began in 2020. The move aligns with similar reinstatements at peer institutions including Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, and Harvard, though Princeton also remains test-optional for the current cycle before implementing its own requirement in 2027.