The test-optional era had a good run. It started in 2020 as a pandemic accommodation, spread to nearly every selective school by 2022, and now — quietly, without much fanfare — it's reversing.
MIT never left. Yale came back in 2024. And the list is growing.
Which schools are requiring tests again?
Here's the current picture for the 2026–2027 application cycle:
- MIT: Test-required since 2022. No exceptions.
- Yale: Test-required starting Class of 2029.
- Dartmouth: Test-required starting Class of 2028.
- Georgetown: Test-required, never went optional.
- Georgia Tech: Test-required (for most programs).
Estimated 60–70% of highly selective schools have either returned to test-required or are expected to by 2027. The middle tier — schools with acceptance rates between 30–60% — remains predominantly test-optional.
Why are they coming back?
A 2023 MIT study found that test scores are predictive of academic success, particularly for first-generation and low-income students. The argument isn't that tests are perfect — it's that without them, admissions offices rely more heavily on recommendation letters and extracurricular signals that correlate strongly with family wealth.
In other words: test-optional wasn't as equitable as it sounded.
What this means if you're applying in 2026
First, check each school's current policy directly. Don't trust 2024 articles — policies changed in 2025. The official admissions page for each school is the only reliable source.
Second, if a school is test-optional, submitting a strong score (above their 75th percentile) still helps. A 2024 analysis of admitted classes found students who submitted scores had meaningfully higher admit rates at test-optional schools than those who didn't, when controlling for other factors.
Third, if your score is below the 50th percentile for a school, not submitting is often the right call. But "test-optional" doesn't mean "test-blind" — admissions officers know you took the test.
The data on what gets you in
Acceptance rates, SAT/ACT ranges, and how much each school weighs testing vs. GPA vs. essays are all published annually in the Common Data Set (CDS). Most applicants don't read it. That's your competitive advantage.
PreptoDone compiles CDS data for 649+ schools. You can see exactly where your test score falls relative to admitted students — and whether submitting or withholding gives you better odds at each school on your list.
How does YOUR score compare against these schools' admitted pools?
Get your free Competitiveness Score — takes 5 minutes, based entirely on CDS data.
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Disclaimer: Policy information is based on publicly available admissions data and is provided for informational purposes only. Always verify current test policies directly on each school's official admissions website. PrepToDone is not affiliated with any institution mentioned.