Yet another prestigious university, Stanford, announced on Friday that they are reinstating ACT/SAT requirements. Following in the footsteps of Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Dartmouth, MIT, Brown, the University of Georgia (and six other universities in its system), California Institute of Technology, and others, Stanford University will be requiring applicants to submit ACT/SAT scores, beginning with students applying in fall 2025 for the Class of 2030.
Like other universities who have chosen to revoke test-optional policies put in place during the pandemic, Stanford announced its decision was based on an internal review that found standardized test scores to be a useful predictor of academic performance at Stanford and helpful in portraying a more holistic picture of a student for admissions officers.
Although students applying to Stanford this fall will not be required to submit ACT/SAT scores, this shift to reinstate standardized tests signals that the university is placing high value on ACT/SAT scores.
Read more about Stanford’s announcement here.