The SAT Is Back—And This Time, It’s Not Going Anywhere

Columbia University has become the last Ivy League institution to reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate admissions, requiring SAT or ACT scores for all applicants beginning with the 2027–2028 admissions cycle. The announcement, made in June 2026, reverses a 2023 decision where Columbia became the first Ivy League school to permanently drop test requirements, citing a multi-year faculty review that found test scores are a useful indicator of student success. The policy shift aligns with Yale’s recent reinstatement of test requirements, closing a chapter that began in 2020 when COVID-19 disruptions led many universities to suspend testing mandates. Critics had previously argued that standardized tests reinforced inequality by favoring wealthy, white students, but Columbia’s decision reflects growing evidence that test scores better predict college performance than grade point averages alone. Columbia’s about-face is notable because it had previously gone further than any peer institution by indefinitely scrapping test requirements in March 2023. The university’s reversal comes as other top institutions, including the University of California system, are reconsidering their test-blind policies. A 2024 *New York Times* analysis challenged the notion that standardized tests are inherently inequitable, noting they can help identify well-prepared students, including those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Yale’s Dean Pericles Lewis previously stated that SAT and ACT scores not only predict academic success but also encourage diversity by identifying prepared candidates. The UC Academic Senate recently revealed plans to reevaluate its test-blind policy after concerns about severe math gaps among students, signaling potential broader shifts in higher education admissions practices. With all eight Ivy League schools now requiring standardized tests, the trend suggests a return to test-mandatory admissions, driven by data showing their predictive value for college success. The move marks a significant departure from the test-optional era, which had been widely adopted in response to pandemic disruptions and equity concerns.