Princeton to reinstate SAT or ACT in 2027, leaving Columbia as only test-optional Ivy: Here’s why it’s a major shift

Princeton University has announced it will require SAT or ACT scores for undergraduate applicants beginning with the fall 2027 admission cycle. This decision ends a seven-year period of test-optional admissions at the university, a policy initially introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to address reduced access to testing centres. With Princeton’s reinstatement of standardised testing, Columbia University remains the only Ivy League school maintaining a permanent test-optional policy. The university cited a review of five years of data during the test-optional period which showed stronger academic performance among students who submitted test scores. “The decision to resume testing requirements follows a review of five years of data from the test-optional period, which found that acad