Columbia permanently drops SAT/ACT testing requirement

Columbia University will no longer require undergraduate applicants to submit their SAT or ACT standardized test scores, becoming the first Ivy League school to permanently go test-optional.

Columbia’s Undergraduate Admissions announced Wednesday that it would join a growing number of higher-education institutions that have also stopped requiring test scores when considering applicants.

“Our review is purposeful and nuanced — respecting varied backgrounds, voices and experiences — in order to best determine an applicant’s suitability for admission and ability to thrive in our curriculum and our community, and to advance access to our educational opportunities,” the announcement said.

The New York City-based college has not required test scores from applicants since the 2020-2021 academic school year, when it dropped the requirement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It had extended the policy through the 2023-2024 school year last February, according to the Columbia Spectator, its student newspaper.

The decision was “rooted in the belief that students are dynamic, multi-faceted individuals who cannot be defined by any single factor,” the university said.

Columbia said in Wednesday’s announcement that its approach to applicants stresses a “holistic and contextual application review process,” and considers numerous factors.

“We have designed our application to afford the greatest possible opportunity and flexibility for students to represent themselves fully and showcase their academic talents, interests and goals,” the announcement said.

Other Ivy League schools have extended their pandemic-era test-optional policies, but none have made the initiative permanent.

The University of Pennsylvania expanded its test-optional policy through the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, while Cornell has extended the program through 2024-2025, The Spectator reported. Harvard and Princeton have continued theirs through the 2025-2026 school year, while Dartmouth, Brown and Yale have yet to make a decision.

Last year, just 3.7% of over 60,000 applications were accepted to the institution in Morningside Heights, according to admission statistics.

The number of students of color increased by 4% from the previous year, and the number of first-generation students increased by 3%.