Joseph Williams, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

America's oldest university has announced it will be repealing a pandemic-era policy which dropped the requirement for standardized tests for all undergraduate applicants, returning to the previous requirement for applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores.

Harvard College announced on Thursday a significant change in its admissions policy by reinstating the requirement for applicants to submit standardized test scores.

“Standardized tests are a means for all students, regardless of their background and life experience, to provide information that is predictive of success in college and beyond,” said Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra in the university's announcement.

“Indeed, when students have the option of not submitting their test scores, they may choose to withhold information that, when interpreted by the admissions committee in the context of the local norms of their school, could have potentially helped their application. In short, more information, especially such strongly predictive information, is valuable for identifying talent from across the socioeconomic range.”

This marks a departure from the test-optional policy that the university had adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The change will affect students applying for admission in the fall of 2025, aiming to be part of the graduating class of 2029.

The decision to revert to requiring standardized test scores, such as the SAT or ACT, comes after a period of flexibility in admissions criteria due to the challenges posed by the pandemic. Many students faced difficulties in accessing testing centers or preparing for standardized tests amidst the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

In response, Harvard, along with many other colleges and universities, had adopted a test-optional policy to alleviate some of these challenges.

The university's previous stance was to maintain the test-optional policy through the 2025-2026 application cycle. However, the recent announcement indicates a shift in Harvard's approach to admissions. Starting with the applicants for the fall of 2025, standardized test scores will once again be a required component of the admissions package.

This policy change aligns Harvard with other Ivy League schools that have also reinstated testing requirements in the aftermath of the pandemic. The move suggests a return to more traditional admissions criteria as the impacts of the pandemic on education and testing accessibility begin to subside.

The reinstatement of standardized testing requirements is likely to have implications for prospective students and the college admissions landscape as a whole. Applicants will need to factor in test preparation and scores as they navigate the application process for Harvard and other institutions that have reinstated similar requirements.

In a similar move to Harvard's, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has also announced that it will be reinstating its requirement for standardized test scores in the admissions process.

Caltech, known for its rigorous STEM programs, had previously adopted a test-optional policy during the pandemic to accommodate students facing challenges in taking the SAT or ACT. However, the institute has now decided to return to its pre-pandemic admissions criteria, requiring applicants to submit their test scores once again.