Columbia University drops SAT, ACT requirements for undergraduate admissions

Columbia University said that it has designed the application “to afford the greatest possible opportunity and flexibility for students to represent themselves fully and showcase their academic talents, interests and goals”. The university had dropped the SAT requirement and made it optional after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Columbia University has dropped the standardized test scores, SAT or ACT test, required for undergraduate (UG) admission 2023. The university is the first Ivy League school to do away with the SAT and ACT requirements. The SAT is a standardised test that is frequently utilised in the US for college admissions.

Columbia University said that it has designed the application “to afford the greatest possible opportunity and flexibility for students to represent themselves fully and showcase their academic talents, interests and goals”. The university dropped the SAT requirement and made it optional after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Students who choose not to submit test scores will not be at a disadvantage in our process,” it said. It also said that the decision was "rooted in the belief that students are dynamic, multi-faceted individuals who cannot be defined by any single factor," as per reports.

The university said that "it will evaluate all submitted information within an individualized application review process that considers the unique combination of circumstances shaping each applicant's journey."

Columbia University admission process will now be based on “the rigor of a student’s curriculum, their academic achievement, and their demonstrated intellectual curiosity will remain central to our review.”

Standardized tests will be optional for applicants enrolling through Fall 2024, it informed. According to the Post, Harvard University and Princeton have continued their test-optional policy through the academic year 2025-2026.

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