The University of Pennsylvania announced this week that it will once again be requiring applicants to submit ACT/SAT scores, beginning with the 2025-2026 admissions cycle. Penn’s announcement means that six of the eight Ivy League schools now require standardized tests scores for applicants, with many anticipating that Princeton and Columbia (the two remaining Ivies with test-optional policies) will not be far behind in announcing their own return to standardized testing requirements. While the University of Pennsylvania assures it will continue “considering a student’s school-based academic record on its own merit,” with SAT and ACT scores simply playing a part in their “broad and comprehensive assessment” of applicants, Penn hopes the reinstatement of standardized test scores will “remove uncertainty” for applicants unsure whether or not to submit ACT/SAT scores. Read more here.
The University of Pennsylvania joins an ever-growing list of American colleges and universities once again requiring the ACT/SAT. Check out our blog for the latest on which schools are requiring standardized test scores.