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

Columbia University has announced it will reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate applicants, effective with the 2027-28 admissions cycle, according to the university's admissions website. This move makes Columbia the final Ivy League institution to return to test-required policies, completing a full-circle reversal for the prestigious eight-school consortium that had universally adopted test-optional policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement, made in June 2026, specifies that Columbia will remain test-optional for the current 2026-27 admissions cycle before implementing the new requirement, as reported by Higher Ed Dive. This phased approach gives current high school juniors notice of the policy change affecting their applications next year. The decision follows similar reinstatements by other Ivy League institutions over the past two years, including Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, and Harvard.

The return to testing requirements at elite institutions represents a significant shift in the admissions landscape, with Columbia's announcement marking a symbolic milestone. According to Higher Ed Dive's coverage of the trend, "elite colleges are returning to the SAT and ACT" after several years of test-optional experimentation. While Columbia's policy won't take effect until August 2027, its announcement solidifies the Ivy League's collective position on standardized testing for the foreseeable future, creating clearer expectations for families targeting these highly selective institutions.

Notably, the policy applies to both Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, covering all undergraduate applicants to the university's New York City campus. This development comes alongside other selective institutions reinstating testing requirements, including Ohio State University's announcement that it will require SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants to its Columbus campus beginning with the 2026 admissions cycle, as noted by Compass Prep.