Columbia Completes Ivy League Return to Test-Required Admissions for 2027-28 Cycle

In a decisive shift that marks the end of an era in elite admissions, Columbia University has announced it will reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate applicants, completing a full-circle return to test-mandatory policies across all eight Ivy League institutions. According to a report from Higher Ed Dive, Columbia will remain test-optional through the upcoming 2026-27 admissions cycle but will require SAT or ACT scores for students applying for Fall 2027 admission.

This move makes Columbia the last of the Ivies to reverse the pandemic-era test-optional policies that became widespread in 2020. The university had previously extended its test-optional policy indefinitely in 2023, becoming the first Ivy League institution to make the change permanent. As noted by The Columbia Spectator, with this reversal, all eight Ivy League schools now require standardized test scores, creating a unified policy landscape among the nation's most selective universities for the first time in nearly a decade.

The policy shift aligns with a broader trend among elite institutions. As reported by Summit Prep, Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, Harvard, Caltech, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and UT Austin have all announced returns to test-required policies for upcoming cycles. This collective movement represents a significant recalibration in selective admissions, with institutions citing the predictive value of standardized tests for academic success at their campuses as a primary rationale for the reinstatement.

For families navigating the 2026-27 application cycle, Columbia's current test-optional policy remains in effect. However, students targeting the Ivy League for Fall 2027 admission should prepare for a testing landscape that has fully reverted to its pre-pandemic configuration, with standardized test scores once again serving as a mandatory component of applications to all eight institutions.