Harvard College will require applicants to submit standardized test scores for fall 2025 admission, reversing its previous test-optional policy. This decision follows similar moves by other Ivy League schools, citing the tests as the best predictors of academic performance and a means to increase socioeconomic diversity. Critics argue that standardized tests create barriers for disadvantaged students, but Harvard officials believe the tests can make the admissions process more meritocratic. The university will accept alternative scores in exceptional cases and plans to assess the policy regularly. Other selective schools, such as the University of Chicago and Columbia University, remain test-optional.
Harvard College has announced a surprise reversal of its test-optional admissions policy, reinstating the requirement for standardized testing beginning with the Class of 2029. This decision comes after facing criticism and pressure from peer institutions. The move has sparked both support and criticism, with some experts suggesting that requiring standardized test scores could help increase diversity in the student body, while student organizations and others have expressed concerns about the impact on low-income and minority students. Applicants for the Class of 2029 will now need to submit SAT or ACT scores, with limited time before application deadlines.
The University of Texas at Austin will reinstate the requirement for applicants to submit standardized test scores starting with the fall 2025 enrollment, citing the value of standardized testing in identifying student performance and fit for majors. This decision follows a period of test-optional admissions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UT-Austin's move aligns with other universities, including Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, and Georgetown, that have also reversed test-optional policies. The university also introduced an early action process for fall 2025 applicants and continues to grant automatic admission to top 6% high school graduates while using a holistic process for other applicants, which includes considering standardized test scores.
Yale University will require standardized test scores for admission for students applying to enter in the fall of 2025, citing potential harm to students from lower-income families under test-optional policies. The new policy will be "test flexible," allowing students to submit subject-based Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test scores in place of SAT or ACT scores. This decision follows a similar move by Dartmouth College and MIT, but contrasts with the majority of institutions that have maintained test-optional policies as the pandemic waned.
