Columbia Completes Ivy League Return to Testing, Will Require SAT/ACT for 2027-28 Cycle

Columbia University has become the final Ivy League institution to reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate admissions, announcing in June 2026 that it will require SAT or ACT scores from first-year and transfer applicants beginning with the 2027-28 admissions cycle (entering Class of 2032). The university will remain test-optional for the 2026-2027 cycle before implementing the new requirement [Higher Ed Dive, Columbia Spectator].

This announcement completes a sweeping reversal across elite institutions that began earlier in 2026. According to Oriel Admissions, six of the eight Ivy League schools now require SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants in the 2026-2027 cycle, with Columbia's reinstatement bringing the total to seven Ivy League institutions requiring standardized tests [Oriel Admissions]. The move represents a significant shift from the test-optional policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which many elite schools maintained for several years.

The timing aligns with key testing dates for students targeting the 2027-28 admissions cycle. The first SAT attempt for these applicants should ideally occur in March, May, or June 2026, with subsequent attempts available in August 2026 and beyond if needed [EZ Scholar]. Columbia's announcement provides clarity for rising juniors who will need to prepare for standardized tests as part of their application strategy for the university and other reinstating institutions.

While Columbia's policy change takes effect in August 2027, the university joins a growing list of highly-selective institutions that have returned to requiring standardized tests. This trend has accelerated throughout 2026, with many elite schools citing the value of test scores in providing standardized metrics for comparison across diverse educational backgrounds [Collegewise]. The reinstatement means that students targeting Columbia and other Ivy League schools will need to incorporate standardized testing into their preparation timelines for the upcoming admissions cycles.