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

Columbia University has become the final Ivy League institution to reinstate standardized testing requirements, announcing on June 12, 2026, that SAT or ACT scores will be mandatory for undergraduate applicants beginning with the 2027-28 admissions cycle. The university will remain test-optional for the current 2026-27 application season before implementing the new requirement when applications open in August 2027, according to the university's undergraduate admissions website and multiple admissions publications.

This decision completes a sweeping reversal across elite higher education, making all eight Ivy League schools test-mandatory for the first time since the pandemic-era shift to test-optional policies. As reported by Higher Ed Dive, six of the eight Ivies already required scores for the 2026-27 cycle, with Columbia's announcement bringing the final two institutions into alignment. The Columbia Spectator confirmed the university's policy shift, noting it marks a return to pre-pandemic requirements.

The reinstatement comes amid broader pressure from faculty and research suggesting standardized tests provide valuable predictive data for admissions committees. More than 2,300 University of California faculty members have signed an open letter urging the system to reinstate SAT/ACT requirements for STEM majors, indicating the testing debate continues to evolve even at public institutions. For families targeting elite universities, the clear trend is toward renewed emphasis on standardized testing, with most highly selective schools now either requiring or strongly encouraging scores.