Columbia Reinstating Standardized Testing for Admissions
“First-year and transfer applicants seeking to enroll for Fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores.”
Getting rid of standardized testing was like defunding the police. Stupid people thought it sounded good and it was a disaster.
Columbia University has reinstated standardized testing for admissions — the last Ivy League school to do it.
“Through a multi-year faculty review, it was determined that test scores, among other factors, were a useful indicator of potential student success.” pic.twitter.com/lQfyMX9pPJ
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) June 12, 2026
From the school’s website:
Testing Policy Update
Columbia College and Columbia Engineering are returning to required standardized testing for all first-year and transfer applicants, effective August 2027 for the 2027-2028 admissions cycle. First-year and transfer applicants seeking to enroll for Fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores. Applicants who face challenges in meeting this requirement may request a waiver at the time of their application. Columbia College and Columbia Engineering will remain test optional for the upcoming 2026-2027 admissions cycle.
Standardized testing is one of many elements we consider in our application review, which starts with establishing a foundation of academic excellence and is rooted in the belief that students are dynamic, multi-faceted individuals who are best understood by careful review of all parts of the application. Our process is purposeful, considering individual circumstances and opportunity in order to best determine an applicant’s suitability for admission and ability to thrive in and contribute to our curriculum and our community. There are no minimum test score requirements for admission.
In 2020, Columbia announced a test-optional policy on a provisional basis due to limited testing opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. That policy was extended in 2023 with no stated end date, accompanied by a commitment to ongoing assessment to ensure that admitted students were successful within our academic environment. Through a multi-year faculty review, it was determined that test scores, among other factors, were a useful indicator of potential student success.
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Comments
Through a multi-year faculty review, it was determined that test scores, among other factors, were a useful indicator of potential student success.
When A grades are handed out like candy in high school, doofuses and geniuses can both have high GPAs. Which means that grades can no longer be used to distinguish between able and not-so-able applicants.
Back in the day, one of the first doctoral dissertations to use computers for statistical calculations determined that there were three items that were good predictions for college freshman academic performance.
1. Grades
2. Test scores (SAT, ACT)
3. A psychological trait that the dissertation’s author called “stick-to-it-iveness”— the ability to persevere in the face of difficulties.
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