Columbia Reinstates SAT/ACT Requirement for 2027-2028 Admissions Cycle

Columbia University has announced it will reinstate mandatory SAT or ACT testing requirements for undergraduate applicants beginning with the 2027-2028 admissions cycle, completing a full reversal of test-optional policies across the Ivy League. The decision, announced on June 12, 2026, means all eight Ivy League institutions will once again require standardized test scores for first-year applicants.

According to Columbia's official admissions website, "Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will reinstate a standardized testing requirement, effective August 2027 for the 2027-2028 admission cycle" [Testing Policy - Columbia Undergraduate Admissions](https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/process/testing). The university will remain test-optional for the 2026-2027 cycle before implementing the new requirement.

The announcement marks the final domino to fall in the Ivy League's systematic return to test-required admissions. As noted by Oriel Admissions, "Six of the eight Ivy League schools now require SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants in the 2026-2027 cycle" [Which Top Colleges Require SAT/ACT?](https://orieladmissions.com/colleges-require-sat-act/). With Columbia's decision, the league has completed its reversal of the test-optional policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Higher Ed Dive reported that "Columbia University will return to requiring SAT or ACT scores from undergraduate applicants beginning August 2027" [Columbia reinstates SAT, ACT requirements](https://www.highereddive.com/news/columbia-reinstates-sat-act-requirements-for-2027-28/822957/). The move aligns Columbia with peer institutions including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania, which had already reinstated testing requirements.

This development represents a significant shift in elite admissions strategy, signaling a return to pre-pandemic evaluation metrics at the nation's most selective institutions. Students targeting Ivy League schools for the Class of 2032 will need to prepare for standardized testing as a mandatory component of their applications.