Another Ivy League School Backtracks on Test-Optional Admissions

Cornell University will once again require prospective undergraduate students to submit their standardized test scores, making it the latest Ivy League school to backtrack on the pandemic-era test-optional admissions policy. Starting in the 2026 admissions cycle, all students seeking admission will have to submit an SAT or ACT score with their applications, the Ithaca, New York-based university said on April 22. The university will remain test-optional for applicants for fall 2025 enrollment, although it encouraged students to submit their standardized test scores. The decision is based on the findings of a Cornell task force comprising eight faculty members and administrators who spent almost four years studying the impact of suspending testing requirements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic....