Brown University Backtracks on ‘Test-Optional’ Policy, Reinstates Standardized Tests for Admission

Brown University will reinstate its standardized testing requirements for admission for students applying for the 2025-2026 academic year, officials announced on March 5. In a press release, the university said its decision to backtrack on its “test-optional” policy that was rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic followed “months of analysis and deliberation” by its ad hoc committee on admissions policies. Brown University’s president Christina H. Paxson ultimately accepted the committee’s recommendations this week. The committee is composed of senior faculty and alumni members of Brown’s highest governing body, the Corporation of Brown University. The decision means that the university will reinstate the requirement for first-year admission applicants to submit SAT and ACT scores, except in rare circumstances where these tests are unavailable. This applies to the Class of 2029 whose students will enroll at Brown in the 2025-26 academic year....