Which colleges require SAT/ACT scores for 2026-2027?
For students applying in fall 2026: Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Penn, Dartmouth, MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, UT Austin, Ohio State (Columbus), Purdue, the Florida and Georgia publics, and Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science all require SAT or ACT scores. Yale dropped its flexible policy in May 2026 and now requires the SAT or ACT specifically. Columbia, Princeton, and Notre Dame stay test-optional this cycle but reinstate requirements for 2027-2028, so current juniors should plan to test. Still, roughly 90% of US four-year colleges do not require scores. Solyo.ai helps families track each school's testing policy alongside deadlines and GPA targets.
Who Requires Scores This Cycle
For the 2026-2027 cycle (students applying in fall 2026 for fall 2027 entry), the confirmed test-required list includes Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Penn, and Dartmouth among the Ivies, plus MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Georgetown, and Johns Hopkins. Among major publics, UT Austin, Ohio State's Columbus campus, Purdue, and the Florida and Georgia public systems all expect SAT or ACT scores. Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science requires scores, while most other CMU colleges are test-flexible (accepting AP, IB, or A-Level results instead) and its College of Fine Arts remains test-optional.
The notable hardening this year is Yale: in May 2026 it dropped the "test-flexible" policy that had allowed AP or IB scores in place of the SAT/ACT. Starting this cycle, Yale requires the SAT or ACT specifically.
Test-Optional Now, Required Next Year
Three big names stay test-optional for 2026-2027 but have already announced requirements for the 2027-2028 cycle (fall 2028 entry): Columbia (announced June 2026), Princeton (announced October 2025), and Notre Dame (announced September 2026). With Columbia's announcement, all eight Ivy League schools have now either reinstated testing requirements or committed to a date. The University of California system remains test-blind for now, but its Regents are formally weighing reinstatement with a decision due by June 2027.
The practical consequence lands on current juniors, the class of 2028: by the time they apply, the test-required list will be meaningfully longer than it is today. Sophomores and juniors should plan their testing timeline assuming scores will matter at any selective school on their list.
Most Colleges Still Do Not Require Scores
The headlines overstate the shift. Per FairTest's fall 2027 tally, 86.4% of roughly 2,200 colleges with verified policies are test-optional and another 3.6% are test-free, meaning about 90% of US four-year institutions do not require scores. The requirement wave is concentrated at highly selective schools. What "required" means also varies: some schools require scores from every applicant, others only for specific programs. Always verify on each school's own admissions page, since policies have changed mid-year more than once.
Why This Matters
If any school on your child's list requires scores, or will by the time a younger sibling applies, the testing timeline needs to start in sophomore or junior year to leave room for a retake. And even at test-optional schools, a score at or above the school's middle 50% range strengthens an application. See whether to take the SAT/ACT when your child's colleges are test-optional for that decision, and last cycle's list for how fast this landscape moves.
Six of eight Ivies plus Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Georgetown, Hopkins, and major publics like UT Austin and Ohio State require scores this cycle, and Columbia, Princeton, and Notre Dame join next year. About 90% of colleges still do not require scores, but selective-school applicants should test regardless.
How Solyo Helps
Solyo.ai is designed to make this process easier for parents. By automatically syncing with school systems and processing school emails, Solyo eliminates the manual work involved in tracking academic progress. Create a free account to get started in under 2 minutes.
Check the testing policy on each target school's own admissions page every fall, not a third-party list. Yale, Columbia, and Notre Dame all changed their policies within the past year, and the UC decision due by June 2027 could be the biggest change yet.
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