Aaron Andrikopoulos • June 20, 2025
Though the pandemic ushered in a new era of test-optional admissions, that trend is proving to be short-lived as top colleges in the country move to reinstate their SAT/ACT requirements of the past.
1. The Tide is Turning
As of the 2024-2025 academic year, only a handful of pioneering schools like Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, and, MIT had reverted to their pre-pandemic SAT/ACT requirements. However, a steady trickle of schools have begun to follow suit. Starting in Fall 2026, a growing list of high-profile universities will once again require standardized test scores for admission, including most of the Ivy League, Stanford, and Georgetown to name a few.
These institutions argue that test scores, when used properly, are an indicator of which students will succeed in the rigorous academic field. Some admissions officers say that a standardized test can help correct for an imbalance across the country of school resources, manifesting as lower quality teaching and lack of access to advanced courses.
Trust us, we’ve come across many students in our 40-year history at TestTakers whose score belies their true abilities in the classroom. While the “holistic approach” to college admissions promised to use multiple factors, test scores have proven to be one of the most important. As Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management at The Ohio State University James Orr said in the school’s announcement of testing requirements “Our analysis shows Ohio State students who submit test scores have higher grade point averages and are more likely to progress through the university.”
Regardless of how you feel about standardized tests in general, it looks like they’re back and here to stay.
2. What If I’m Not Planning to Apply to an Ivy League School?
If you’re a student or parent planning to go through the daunting college application process in the next few years, the SAT and/or ACT are going to be a part of your lives. Even if a school is test-optional today, that policy may change by the time you submit your application. The trend is moving towards more schools requiring these tests each passing year.
Sure, the first schools to make the switch back to test-required, and the ones that grabbed the most headlines, were so-called elite universities. Now, you’ll be able to find an extensive list of schools from all across the spectrum that will require the SAT/ACT beginning in Fall 2026. If the current trend holds, that list will only continue to expand.
For students applying to schools this fall, check the official requirements on the admissions pages of the schools you’re targeting for the latest information. Many schools update their policies towards the end of the school year, starting around March. You may find that the information has changed since you looked just 3 – 4 months ago.
3. The Bottom Line
Students should consider taking the SAT or ACT anyway. For the large number of test-optional schools, a strong score helps you stand out from the pack, just as, if not more than, a stellar resume of extracurriculars or academic awards. After all, almost everything that would make a student stand out as a good candidate for college admission is technically optional. Put your best foot forward. As much as we like to believe we’re all unique, main characters of our own stories, the truth is many college applicants have similar profiles. A strong ACT/SAT score can cut through the noise, slotting one above the others. Leave admissions offices with no doubt as to whether you’ll be an asset to the school.