SAT Required Again: Top College Policies for 2027 & 2028
Six Ivies already require SAT/ACT scores for Class of 2027. Columbia just sealed it for 2028. Here's the full policy breakdown and your August deadline.
By Jorbi TeamOn June 12, 2026, Columbia University announced it will reinstate SAT and ACT requirements, making it the last of all eight Ivy League schools to end its pandemic-era test-optional policy. That's genuinely big news. But the details of *when* it takes effect matter enormously for your planning, and I've already seen the wrong story spreading fast.
Here's the accurate version: Columbia's new requirement applies to the 2027-2028 admissions cycle, meaning students enrolling in Fall 2028. If you're a rising senior applying this fall for Fall 2027 entry, Columbia is still test-optional for you this cycle. Same with Princeton, which made a similar announcement back in October 2025 with the same effective date.
The urgent story for rising seniors is a different one. Six of the eight Ivies, plus MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, and Georgetown, already require SAT or ACT scores from Class of 2027 applicants. And the August 22 SAT has a registration deadline of August 7, which is 15 days from today.
So this piece covers two distinct situations. I'll tell you exactly where you stand based on which year you're in.
The Policy Landscape Is Now Running on Two Tracks
The easiest way to think about this: the test-optional era is ending in waves, and which wave hits you depends on your graduation year.
For Class of 2027 (rising seniors applying this coming fall), the wave already arrived at most elite schools. Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Penn, MIT, Stanford, and a growing list of others are test-required for your cycle. Columbia and Princeton are the holdouts, but only for one final year.
For Class of 2028 (current juniors applying fall 2027), Columbia's announcement this week closes the last door. When you apply, all eight Ivies will require scores. As Compass Education Group's policy tracker confirms, the reinstatement wave now covers every school in that tier.
The broader context worth knowing: more than 90% of four-year U.S. colleges still don't require test scores for Fall 2026. FairTest's current database tracks over 900 test-optional and test-free schools. What's changed is the very top of the selectivity spectrum, and if your list includes those schools, you need to act accordingly.
If You're a Rising Senior: Which Schools Already Require Your Scores
Six Ivies are test-required for the Class of 2027. Here's the full picture of where the most selective schools stand for this fall's applicants.
The table below covers the schools most rising seniors are asking about. For each, I've noted whether scores are required, optional, or (in the UC system's case) not considered at all.
SchoolFall 2027 PolicyKey NotesHarvardRequiredReinstated April 2024. Accepts AP/IB in rare inaccessibility cases per AP News. Middle 50% SAT: 1490-1580.YaleRequired (test-flexible)SAT, ACT, AP scores, or IB all accepted. Middle 50% SAT: 1500-1580.BrownRequiredReinstated for Fall 2025 applicants onward.DartmouthRequiredAmong the first to reinstate; faculty research called scores "one of the best predictors of college success" per Dartmouth Admissions.CornellRequiredCovers all undergraduate colleges.PennRequiredReinstated Fall 2026. Hardship waivers available. Penn Admissions notes students who *have* tested must submit scores regardless.PrincetonTest-Optional (final year)Announced reinstatement for Fall 2028 per Princeton Alumni Weekly. This is the last cycle you can go test-optional here.ColumbiaTest-Optional (final year)Columbia College and Engineering only. Higher Ed Dive confirms requirement begins August 2027 for Fall 2028 enrollment. Barnard and School of General Studies are *not* covered.MITRequiredReinstated 2022; strong Math subscore emphasis. Middle 50% SAT: 1520-1570.StanfordRequiredReinstated for Fall 2026 entry.CaltechRequiredReinstated for Fall 2025 onward.GeorgetownRequiredRequires full testing record; no Score Choice.Johns HopkinsRequiredTest-required beginning Fall 2026.Carnegie Mellon (CS)RequiredComputer Science specifically requires scores. Other CMU programs remain test-optional. Verify your specific program at College Curators.DukeTest-OptionalConfirmed test-optional through Fall 2027.NorthwesternTest-OptionalNo announced end date.UChicagoTest-OptionalPermanent "No Harm" policy. Scores considered if submitted, no disadvantage if not.VanderbiltTest-OptionalCommitted through Fall 2027; Fall 2028 TBD.RiceTest-Optional (Recommended)Scores strongly advisable given competition.UC Berkeley / UCLA / all UCsTest-BlindBoard of Regents policy. Scores are not considered even if submitted. Don't send them.
Yale's policy is worth a specific callout: Yale accepts SAT scores, ACT scores, AP exam scores, and IB results. Any one of the four is sufficient. That's a genuinely different model from the other Ivies, and it matters if you've loaded up on AP courses but haven't focused on the SAT specifically. Check the EZScholar breakdown of Yale's test-flexible model for the specifics.
What Columbia's Announcement Actually Means for Class of 2028
For current juniors, this week's news is the one that changes your summer.
Columbia's official policy statement reads: "First-year and transfer applicants seeking to enroll for Fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores. Applicants who face challenges in meeting this requirement may request a waiver at the time of their application."
A few things worth unpacking there. The waiver provision is real and penalty-free. Per Higher Ed Dive's reporting, Columbia will consider waivers for "personal circumstances such as financial or personal hardship, lack of access to testing locations, or natural disaster or community disruption." You request it at the time of application, not in advance, and Columbia explicitly states applicants "will not be penalized" for requesting one. Harvard has a similar provision that accepts AP, IB, or national leaving exams when SAT/ACT access is genuinely cost- or geography-prohibitive.
The backstory on Columbia is almost poetic in its irony. Columbia first went test-optional in 2020 during COVID. In March 2023, per Inside Higher Ed, it became the first Ivy to declare test-optional *permanent*. Three years later, it reversed that stance entirely, citing a multi-year faculty review that found scores "a useful indicator of potential student success."
That reversal mirrors the broader pattern. Dartmouth's 2024 reinstatement (widely credited with triggering the wave) cited internal research showing test scores remain "one of the best predictors of college success." The underlying argument across schools is consistent: post-pandemic grade inflation made high school transcripts less useful as a comparative signal, and admissions offices needed a standardized benchmark back.
Claremont McKenna is also worth flagging for Class of 2028 planners. While it's test-optional for Fall 2027, College Curators confirms it becomes test-required beginning Fall 2028. If CMC is on your list and you're a current junior, scores are mandatory for your cycle.
Your SAT Registration Window Is Closing
If you're a rising senior and need scores for schools that already require them, the summer testing window is tight. Here are the dates that matter most right now, per the College Board's official schedule.
Here is how the five remaining 2026 test dates stack up for your planning.
SAT Test DateRegistration DeadlineScore ReleaseBest ForAugust 22, 2026August 7, 2026around September 4Top priority for EA/ED applicants. Scores arrive well before November 1 deadlines.September 12, 2026August 28, 2026around September 25Strong backup for EA/ED.October 3, 2026September 18, 2026around October 16Last viable date for most EA/ED applications.November 7, 2026October 23, 2026around November 20Regular Decision applicants only.December 5, 2026November 20, 2026around December 18Final option for RD applicants with January 1 deadlines.
The August 22 date is the one I'd prioritize. Scores arrive around September 4, giving you weeks of buffer before November 1 early action and early decision deadlines. Miss that and you're cutting it close.
ACT test dates follow a similar rhythm. The September 12 ACT has a registration deadline around August 8. Verify current ACT dates directly at ACT.org since those dates are subject to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need SAT scores to apply to Columbia this fall (2026)?
No. Columbia's new test requirement takes effect for the 2027-2028 admissions cycle, covering students enrolling in Fall 2028. If you're applying this fall for Fall 2027 entry, Columbia remains test-optional for your application. The same is true of Princeton, which is also in its final test-optional cycle.
Is a 1530 SAT good enough to submit at test-optional schools like Duke or Northwestern?
Generally yes, and you should probably submit it. A 1530 sits above the middle 50% range at most highly selective schools outside the top handful. At test-optional schools, submitting a score that clears or exceeds a school's 25th percentile typically helps your application rather than hurts it. The risk-reward calculation usually favors submission at that score level, especially at schools like Rice that explicitly "recommend" scores even while remaining technically optional.
Does Yale's test-flexible policy mean I can submit AP scores instead of the SAT?
Yes. Yale accepts SAT scores, ACT scores, AP exam scores, or IB results. You don't need all of them; submitting strong scores in one category is sufficient. This is genuinely different from every other Ivy, so if you have AP 5s but a middling SAT, Yale's policy is worth understanding carefully. The EZScholar breakdown covers the specifics of what qualifies.
I'm a current junior targeting Columbia. Do I need to take the SAT this summer?
Yes. Columbia requires scores for your cycle (Fall 2028 enrollment). The August and September SAT dates this summer are your best options to build in retake flexibility. If testing access is a genuine barrier due to financial hardship or geography, Columbia's waiver process is available, but you request it at application time, not in advance.
What if I can't afford SAT registration?
The College Board offers fee waivers for low-income 11th and 12th graders enrolled in the National School Lunch Program, receiving public assistance, in foster care, unhoused, or a ward of the state. Waivers are administered through your school counselor and cover registration plus score sends to up to four colleges. The ACT has a comparable program. Talk to your counselor this week.
What to Do This Week
Rising seniors (Class of 2027) applying to test-required schools: Register for the August 22 SAT at College Board before the August 7 deadline. That's 15 days from today. If August doesn't work, the September 12 date is your next best option for EA/ED applications.
Rising seniors applying to Columbia or Princeton: You can still go test-optional at both schools this cycle. But if you have a strong score and were holding it back, submitting it at Princeton (its final test-optional year) is worth considering. Admissions readers understand the context.
Rising seniors applying to Carnegie Mellon: Check whether your specific program requires scores. Computer Science does. Others don't. Go directly to CMU's admissions page and verify before you decide.
Current juniors (Class of 2028) with any Ivy or elite school on your list: Every single one of the eight Ivies will require scores for your application, plus MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, and Claremont McKenna. The summer testing window starting with August 22 is your first real shot. Use it.
Everyone: Bookmark Compass Education Group's policy tracker and University Parent's June 2026 overview. Policies at schools like Vanderbilt, Duke, and WashU are confirmed test-optional for now but carry no permanent commitment. Check each school's official admissions page before you finalize your strategy, since announcements are still coming.
The test-optional era isn't ending everywhere. It's ending at the schools with single-digit acceptance rates, and it's ending on a tight timeline. For those schools, the window to plan around not taking the SAT has closed or is closing fast. The good news is the summer test dates give you a real runway, but only if you register now.