SAT Scores Regain Importance
SAT Scores Regain Importance as More Colleges Reconsider Test-Optional Admissions
✍️ Hesabla
📅 28.05.2026
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Several highly selective institutions have already restored SAT or ACT requirements for applicants. Harvard states that applicants must submit standardized testing, with the SAT or ACT accepted to meet the requirement. In exceptional cases, the university may accept alternatives such as AP, IB, GCSE/A-Level, or national leaving exam results.
Dartmouth also reactivated its standardized testing requirement beginning with applicants to the Class of 2029, saying the decision was informed by new research on the role of testing in admissions and student success. Brown University has also returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants, beginning with the 2024–25 admission cycle.
Yale has taken a slightly different approach, describing its policy as “test-flexible.” However, the university still requires applicants to submit standardized test results, which can include the SAT or ACT.
The shift marks a major change from the pandemic era, when many colleges temporarily suspended testing requirements because students had limited access to exam centers. At the time, test-optional policies were seen as a way to reduce barriers for applicants. But in recent years, some universities have argued that standardized tests can provide useful academic information, especially when reviewed alongside grades, essays, recommendations, and a student’s school context.
Supporters of reinstating testing say SAT and ACT scores can help admissions offices identify talented students from a wide range of educational backgrounds. Critics, however, continue to argue that standardized testing may favor students with greater access to preparation resources.
For students applying in 2026 and beyond, the message is clear: checking each university’s testing policy has become more important than ever. Some schools remain test-optional, while others now require scores or offer test-flexible alternatives.
As more institutions review their admissions policies, the SAT appears to be regaining importance in the college application process. For high school students, that means test planning, registration deadlines, and preparation schedules may once again play a bigger role in building a strong college application.