Cornell University is the latest college to announce the reversal of its test-optional policy, joining Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, MIT, and others. Students applying to Cornell for the fall of 2026 enrollment will be required to submit SAT/ACT scores with their applications. Interestingly, Cornell’s announcement explicitly “encourages students” to submit their SAT/ACT scores before the official requirement goes into effect. That means students sending in their applications this fall and winter (for fall 2025 enrollment) should prepare to send in standardized test scores. Even though SAT/ACT scores are not required this fall, if Cornell is explicitly “recommending” students submit standardized testing scores, students should take the recommendation seriously and abide by it.
This spring has seen a flurry of announcements of schools reverting to their pre-COVID SAT/ACT admission requirements, with more schools expected to announce reversals of their test-optional polices over the summer before the start of the next school year. For more information on Cornell’s announcement, click here. Academic Approach will continue to keep you informed.