At Ivy Coach, we’ve always been direct, and we won’t change that now. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: test-optional policies at highly selective universities are a load of malarkey! Why? Because the most competitive applicants in recent admissions cycles have consistently submitted test scores. Despite claims that applicants would not be disadvantaged by withholding their scores, we knew better. Admissions officers promoted this falsehood to inflate the number of applicants and reduce acceptance rates at their institutions. 

But now, with the pandemic far in our wake, even the most gung-ho fans of test-optional policies have had to face the writing on the wall: standardized tests work, and high scorers are more prepared for college than their low-scoring or no-scoring counterparts. Should it come as a surprise then that many elite schools have phased back their testing requirements despite their previous commitments? Let’s review the current landscape of test-optional policies among elite schools in the 2024-2025 admissions cycle:

Where Testing is Optional and Required for Admission to the Class of 2029

School	Test-Optional or Test-Free Admissions Policy	Current Test-Optional or Test-Free Policy Commitment Through (if applicable)	Test-Optional Phased Out When? (if applicable)	Test-Optional or Test-Free Policy Notes (if applicable)
Brown University	Testing Required		2024
California Institute of Technology	Testing Required		2024
Carnegie Mellon University	Test-Optional	2024
Columbia University	Test-Optional
Cornell University	Test-Optional or Test-Free (School/Program-Dependent)	2024		Test Optional: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Human Ecology, Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, School of Industrial and Labor Relations Test Free: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business – Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business – Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Dartmouth College	Testing Required		2024
Duke University	Test-Optional	2024
Emory University	Test-Optional	2024
Georgetown University	Testing Required		2022
Harvard University	Testing Required		2024
Johns Hopkins University	Test-Optional	2026
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Testing Required		2022
New York University	Test-Optional	2024
Northwestern University	Test-Optional	2024
Princeton University	Test-Optional	2025
Rice University	Test-Optional
Stanford University	Test-Optional	2025
University of California, Berkeley	Test-Free
University of California, Los Angeles	Test-Free
University of Chicago	Test-Optional
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor	Test-Optional	2024
University of Notre Dame	Test-Optional	2025
University of Pennsylvania	Test-Optional	2024
University of Southern California	Test-Optional	2024
University of Virginia	Test-Optional	2025
Vanderbilt University	Test-Optional	2024
Washington University in St. Louis	Test-Optional
Yale University	Test-Flexible			ACT, SAT, AP, or IB Exams Scores Required

Some significant names among the schools that temporarily adopted test-optional policies during the pandemic but have now reverted back include Brown, Caltech, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Harvard, and MIT. This shift back to testing contradicts the testless future that many predicted at the start of this trend. With numerous schools’ commitments to test-optional policies set to expire next year, Ivy Coach’s famously accurate crystal ball foresees a return to testing at most highly selective schools by this time next year.

In the meantime, we advise our readers to refuse to take any school that lays claim to a test-optional policy at its word. Instead of rolling the dice by withholding scores, enter the test-taking process with the preparation you need to achieve a highly competitive score.

Trust in Ivy Coach’s Standardized Testing Prep for Elite College-Bound Students

It’s more important than ever to wow admissions officers at your top choice school with a high standardized test score that differentiates you from the rest, whether they’ve submitted scores or not! Ivy Coach’s Dr. Fran Bigman will work with your child to hone their test-taking skills and give them the confidence to tackle the SAT or ACT. If you’re interested in optimizing their odds of admission to a highly selective school via one-on-one tutoring, fill out our complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch with an outline of our services.