Cornell University Reinstates Test-Required Policy for Fall 2026 Applicants

Cornell University has solidified a major policy reversal for the upcoming admissions cycle, officially requiring all first-year applicants for Fall 2026 enrollment to submit SAT or ACT scores. This move, announced earlier in 2024 and now active for current applicants, ends the test-optional policy adopted during the pandemic and signals a broader trend of elite institutions reinstating standardized testing mandates.

According to the university's official admissions policy page, "First-year applicants are required to submit the SAT or ACT scores when applying to Cornell" for the Fall 2026 cycle. The policy specifies that applicants may self-report scores initially, but admitted students who enroll must submit official score reports. This reinstatement, as reported by Cornell's own news service in April 2024, applies across its undergraduate colleges, including the highly selective College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering.

The decision places Cornell among a growing list of Ivy League peers, like Dartmouth and Brown, that have returned to test-required admissions in recent years. As noted in a recent Washington Post analysis on changing admissions, the process continues to be disrupted by shifting testing policies following the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision and federal scrutiny. While some institutions remain test-optional, Cornell's definitive shift for Fall 2026 creates a clear benchmark for applicants targeting top-tier STEM and liberal arts programs within the Ivy League, requiring strategic test preparation for the current application season.