Six Ivies Now Require SAT/ACT Scores for 2026-2027 Admissions

A decisive majority of Ivy League universities will require standardized test scores for applicants seeking admission in fall 2027, reversing the widespread test-optional policies adopted during the pandemic. According to multiple admissions tracking sources, six of the eight Ivies—including Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Yale—have reinstated requirements that applicants submit either an SAT or ACT score for the upcoming 2026-2027 application cycle (College Admissions Update: The Shift Back to SAT/ACT Requirements, CarnegiePrep; List of Colleges Dropping & Reinstating ACT/SAT Requirements, ProgressLearning).

This marks a pivotal policy shift for the nation's most selective institutions. While some schools, like MIT and Georgetown, led the return to testing earlier, the 2025-2026 cycle saw a wave of high-profile reinstatements. The movement now encompasses most of the Ivy League, with only Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania remaining officially test-optional or test-flexible for the upcoming cycle (SAT/ACT now required. Is the era of test-optional admissions over?, Empowerly). Notably, Yale has adopted a "test-flexible" policy that still requires a score but allows some alternatives to the SAT/ACT (Which Colleges Require the SAT or ACT in 2026? The New Test-Optional Reality, PrincipiaEducation).

The implications for high school juniors are immediate and concrete. Students targeting these elite schools for fall 2027 admission must now plan for testing this academic year. Admissions advisors recommend a first testing attempt by June 2026, with subsequent attempts in August or fall of 2026 if needed, to meet application deadlines (SAT Reinstated: 2027 Admissions Shift at Elite US Colleges, EzScholar). The policy reversal extends beyond the Ivies to other selective institutions and entire public university systems, such as the University System of Georgia, making standardized test preparation a renewed priority for applicants to top-tier colleges (State Schools Are Ending Test-Optional, CollegeHelpGuide).