Yale University Reinstates Standardized Testing Requirement for Applicants

Yale University announced on May 28, 2026, that it will require prospective undergraduate applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores, reversing its previous policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision follows a report from the university’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education, which recommended reinstating the testing requirement. Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis stated that standardized test scores are strong predictors of academic performance and can help identify well-prepared candidates, particularly from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The university's new policy returns to pre-2020 requirements, as it had adopted a test-flexible policy in 2024, allowing applicants to submit scores from various standardized tests. According to Yale's 2025-2026 common dataset, 71% of students in the class of 2029 submitted SAT scores, while 27% submitted ACT scores. The reinstatement of the testing requirement has sparked debate, with supporters arguing that standardized tests can disadvantage certain student demographics, while critics maintain that such requirements uphold meritocracy in admissions.