Columbia Completes Ivy League's Return to SAT/ACT Requirements for Fall 2027

Columbia University has announced it will require standardized test scores from undergraduate applicants beginning with the 2027-28 admissions cycle, becoming the final Ivy League institution to reverse its test-optional policy. The university will remain test-optional for the upcoming 2026-27 cycle before implementing the new requirement ([Columbia Undergraduate Admissions](https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/process/testing)).

This announcement completes a sweeping reversal across elite higher education that began in 2024-25. According to multiple admissions tracking sources, six of the eight Ivy League schools had already reinstated testing requirements for the 2025-26 or 2026-27 cycles, with Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, and Cornell among those returning to mandatory submission of SAT or ACT scores ([Progress Learning](https://progresslearning.com/news-blog/colleges-dropping-reinstating-act-sat-requirements/), [Carnegie Prep](https://www.carnegieprep.com/college-admissions/college-admissions-testing-policy-updates/)). Cornell's reinstatement for fall 2026 applicants, announced in April 2024, was particularly noted as a turning point ([The Red Pen](https://theredpen.in/blog/return-of-sat-and-act-in-us-universities/)).

The policy shift extends beyond the Ivies to other selective institutions and public university systems. The entire University System of Georgia—including Georgia Tech and University of Georgia—now requires scores for fall 2026 admission ([CollegeHelpGuide](https://www.collegehelpguide.com/blog/public-universities-dropping-test-optional-2026-2027/)). This collective movement represents a significant departure from the widespread test-optional policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with admissions experts noting that "the era of test-optional admissions" appears to be ending at top colleges ([Empowerly](https://empowerly.com/applications/sat-act-requirements-at-top-colleges/)).