College Testing Policy Tracker: Which Schools Require the SAT or ACT in 2026-27 and 2027-28

This tracker lists the SAT and ACT rules at 15 highly selective US colleges for the 2026-27 application cycle (Fall 2027 entry) and the changes announced for the 2027-28 cycle (Fall 2028 entry). As of October 2026, 11 of the 15 require a score in 2026-27. Columbia and Princeton stay test-optional this cycle and switch to required in 2027-28. The University of California does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions, and Purdue's current page lists scores as "if provided."

Each policy below is stated as the school publishes it, with the announcement date where the school gives one and a link to the official page. Policies change by cycle, so check the school's page before you register for a test or submit an application. For the wider list of schools without a requirement, see our guide to test-optional colleges.

Testing Policy Types Defined

This tracker uses four labels for SAT and ACT policy. FairTest defines test-optional and test-free, which it says is sometimes called test-blind. Test-required and required with exemptions are this tracker's own labels for the rules each school publishes on its admissions page, linked in the rows below.

What Required With Exemptions Means

At a required-with-exemptions school, the score requirement stands, and the school names the cases where it grants a waiver or accepts other results. The list shows the exemption rules published by schools in this tracker.

• Harvard: AP, IB, GCSE/A-Level or national leaving-exam results are accepted in exceptional cases. Harvard says exceptional cases typically involve a student facing challenges in paying for or accessing a test site, or a student unable to secure an available seat, before the Regular Decision deadline.
• Penn: applicants facing hardship in accessing a test submit a testing waiver with the application.
• Columbia (from 2027-28): applicants who face challenges in meeting the requirement are allowed to request a waiver at the time of application.
• Princeton (from 2027-28): active-duty military applicants are exempt from the requirement.
• Dartmouth: applicants attending high school outside the US have alternative options, including AP, IB, A-Level or national exam results.

Ivy League Testing Policies: 2026-27 and 2027-28

Six Ivy League schools require the SAT or ACT for the 2026-27 cycle. Columbia and Princeton join them for 2027-28. The table shows each school's rule by cycle as of October 2026.

In the table, "required under current policy" means the school's published rule requires a score and none of the official sources listed here announces a change for 2027-28. Yale announced its 2026-27 change on May 27, 2026, and Columbia announced its 2027-28 change on June 12, 2026. Recheck each school's testing page before you register for a test.

Yale: Required Starting With the 2026-27 Cycle

Yale announced on May 27, 2026 it will require ACT or SAT scores "beginning with the next admissions cycle," which is the 2026-27 cycle for Fall 2027 entry. The change ends Yale's test-flexible policy, which accepted ACT, AP, IB or SAT scores to meet the testing requirement. Yale said the Presidential Council on Yale College Admissions, formed in 2025, recommended a return to the testing policy in place before the pandemic. For the class entering Yale in fall 2026, 92% included an ACT or SAT score, according to Yale.

Columbia: Required Starting With the 2027-28 Cycle

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering remain test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle. Starting with the 2027-28 cycle, first-year and transfer applicants seeking to enroll in Fall 2028 must submit an SAT or ACT score. Columbia says applicants who face challenges in meeting this requirement are allowed to request a waiver at the time of application. Columbia announced the change on June 12, 2026.

Princeton: Required Starting With the 2027-28 Cycle

Princeton is test-optional for 2026-27. Its page states: "Students who opt to apply to Princeton in 2026-27 cycle without an ACT or SAT score will not be at a disadvantage in our process." Princeton will require SAT or ACT scores beginning with the 2027-28 cycle. The university said the decision followed a review of five years of data from the test-optional period. Active-duty military applicants are exempt.

Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn

These five schools required scores before the 2026-27 cycle began. The list gives each start point and its main rule.

• Brown: requires scores from first-year applicants starting with the 2024-25 cycle. Brown superscores the SAT, the ACT or both. The SAT Essay and ACT Writing are optional.
• Cornell: requires scores from first-year applicants. The university announced the requirement on April 22, 2024, effective for applicants enrolling in Fall 2026 or later. Transfer applicants are neither required nor expected to send scores. The ACT Science section is not required.
• Dartmouth: requires scores starting with applicants to the Class of 2029 (Fall 2025 entry). Dartmouth announced the change on February 5, 2024 and said the requirement had been paused at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dartmouth has no preference between the SAT and ACT.
• Harvard: requires the SAT or ACT in the current cycle. The requirement started with the Class of 2029 (fall 2025 admission). Harvard announced the rule on April 11, 2024, ending the test-optional policy it began in June 2020.
• Penn: requires scores starting with the 2025-26 cycle (Fall 2026 entry). Penn announced the rule on February 13, 2025, after being test-optional since the 2020-21 cycle.

Other Highly Selective Schools Requiring Scores in 2026-27

Five more schools in this tracker require the SAT or ACT for the 2026-27 cycle. The table lists who must submit, when each requirement started and one key rule from the official page.

Stanford's testing page states: "ACT or SAT scores are required." MIT's page states: "We require the SAT or the ACT for both prospective first-year and transfer students." Johns Hopkins said a review over the past year, covering academic research and three years of its test-optional admissions data, found test scores considered in context are an important predictive metric.

Purdue: Read the Current Wording

Purdue's First-Year Admission Criteria page, last modified September 24, 2026, lists "SAT, ACT or CLT scores (if provided)" among the factors it evaluates. The page advises applicants to take the SAT or ACT "if able." It does not use the word "required" for SAT, ACT or CLT scores. Contact Purdue admissions to confirm how your scores will be used before you apply.

University of California: Test-Free for Fall 2027

The University of California has made no change to its testing policy for fall 2027. UC's review page states: "Students applying by November 30, 2026, for fall 2027 admission will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores, nor will any other applicant for admission for fall 2027." UC Admissions states: "UC will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships."

The Academic Senate Review and the June 2027 Deadline

UC has set a timeline for a faculty review of standardized testing. The table shows the dates UC has published as of October 2026.

UC says the review runs through its faculty-led Academic Senate under shared governance. As of October 2026, UC has not decided whether requirements for fall 2028 or any later cycle will change. If you are a high school junior planning to apply to UC in the 2027-28 cycle, check the UC review page after the June 2027 recommendation.

National Picture: FairTest Counts for Fall 2027

FairTest published its Fall 2027 tally on August 25, 2026. It covers the 2026-27 application cycle. Of 2,182 confirmed four-year bachelor's-granting colleges, 2,021 (92.6%) are test-optional or test-free. 161 schools require ACT or SAT scores, up by one from 160 for Fall 2026. The release counts test-optional and test-free schools as one group.

The table shows the share of schools not requiring scores in each group FairTest reports.

In FairTest's table, eight of the 12 Ivy Plus schools require scores for Fall 2027, and four are test-optional or test-free. In the admit rate under 30% group, 20 of 104 schools require scores, and 84 are test-optional or test-free.

If your list includes schools without a score requirement, check each school's admissions page for its exact rule on sending scores. To decide whether to send a score to an optional school, read our guide to test-optional colleges and our score-sending strategy.

Class of 2027 vs Class of 2028: What Changes

Colleges name entering classes by expected graduation year. Harvard's Class of 2029, for example, is the class admitted for fall 2025. This section uses high school class years instead. The class of 2027 applies in the 2026-27 cycle for Fall 2027 entry. The class of 2028 applies in the 2027-28 cycle for Fall 2028 entry.

The table compares the two groups as of October 2026.

When to Test

Your testing plan depends on your class year and your college list. Use the steps below if your list includes a required school.

1. Class of 2027, applying to a required school: get an official SAT or ACT score before your earliest application deadline. Harvard says its exceptional cases typically involve a student facing challenges in paying for or accessing a test site, or unable to secure a seat, before the Regular Decision deadline.
2. Class of 2028, applying to Columbia or Princeton: plan for a score. Both schools are test-optional for current seniors, and Columbia and Princeton require scores for your cycle.
3. Class of 2028, applying to UC: no testing decision exists for fall 2028. Watch the UC review page for the June 2027 recommendation.
4. Choosing between tests: every required school in this tracker accepts the SAT or the ACT, and Dartmouth states no preference. Compare formats in our SAT vs ACT guide.

How Score Reporting Works at Required Schools

Required schools differ on self-reporting, superscoring and optional sections. The list summarizes the published rules.

• MIT: you self-report scores on the application, and MIT verifies them upon enrollment. ACT Writing and the SAT essay are not required.
• Cornell: you self-report scores on the Common App. Enrolling students must send official scores, and Cornell states an offer of admission is subject to revocation if self-reported scores are not verified with official ones.
• Brown: superscores the SAT, the ACT or both.
• Dartmouth: considers your highest section scores across sittings.
• Georgetown: requires at least one full SAT or ACT from every first-year applicant.

To decide which scores to send and when, read our score-sending strategy. For score targets, see what counts as a good SAT score and what counts as a good ACT score. Our Common App 2026-27 changes guide covers the updated Testing section.

How to Check a Policy Yourself

Policies change from one cycle to the next. Yale announced its move from test-flexible to required in May 2026, and Columbia announced its change in June 2026. Use these steps to confirm any school's rule.

1. Go to the admissions site. Search the school's undergraduate admissions site for "standardized testing" or "testing policy." Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, MIT, Princeton and Stanford each keep a dedicated testing page. Harvard and Georgetown publish their rules in an admissions FAQ.
2. Match the cycle to your entry term. Check whether the rule names a cycle (2026-27), an entry term (Fall 2027) or a college class year (Class of 2029).
3. Check who the rule covers. MIT requires scores from first-year and transfer applicants. Cornell neither requires nor expects scores from transfer applicants.
4. Read the exemption rules. Look for hardship waivers, access exceptions and group exemptions, such as Penn's testing waiver or Princeton's exemption for active-duty military from 2027-28.
5. Check section and sitting rules. Note which sections are optional and whether the school superscores.
6. Note the page date. Purdue's criteria page shows a last-modified date of September 24, 2026. Recheck the page right before you submit.
7. Ask the office when wording is unclear. Contact admissions if the page does not say "required," "optional" or "not considered" in plain terms.

Whatever your list requires, a full timed practice test shows where you stand. Take our free SAT practice tests or ACT practice tests in your browser, with no signup required. Compare your result with the targets in our guides to a good SAT score and a good ACT score, then pick your official test date.

Sources

• FairTest: What Is Test Optional
• FairTest: Overwhelming Majority of U.S. Colleges and Universities Remain ACT/SAT-Optional or Free for Fall 2027
• Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Testing Policy Update
• Princeton University Admission: Standardized Testing
• Yale News: Undergraduate admissions updates testing policy
• Dartmouth College Admissions: Testing Policy
• Dartmouth: Reactivating the SAT/ACT requirement for Dartmouth undergraduate admissions
• Harvard College Admissions FAQ: Standardized Tests
• Harvard Gazette: Harvard announces return to required testing
• Brown University Admission: Standardized Tests
• Penn Today: Penn reinstates standardized testing for undergraduate admissions
• Cornell University Admissions: Standardized Testing Policy
• Cornell Chronicle: Cornell to reinstate standardized test requirements for fall 2026
• MIT Admissions: Tests and Scores
• MIT Admissions: We are reinstating our SAT/ACT requirement for future admissions cycles
• Caltech: Caltech Restores Standardized Test Requirement for Undergraduate Admission
• Stanford Undergraduate Admission: Testing
• Stanford Report: Stanford will resume standardized test requirement for undergraduate admission
• Georgetown University Undergraduate Admissions: High School Credits and Standardized Testing FAQ
• Purdue University Admissions: First-Year Admission Criteria
• Johns Hopkins Hub: Undergrad admissions will require standardized test scores again
• University of California: Academic Senate Review of Admissions
• UC Admissions: Filling out the application