# Colleges Requiring the SAT in 2026–27: Tracker | topin

On this page

## Match the policy to your graduating class

Every policy here was checked on 4 October 2026 on the college’s own admissions page or official announcement. “Required” always means the SAT or the ACT; none of these colleges prefers one test over the other. The most common mistake is reading a 2026 headline as a rule for this year’s applicants, so start with your class.

__Which entry year applies to you (standard four-year path)__
| High-school class | Applies in | Starts college | College class |
| ----------------- | ---------- | -------------- | ------------- |
| 2027              | 2026–27    | Autumn 2027    | 2031          |
| 2028              | 2027–28    | Autumn 2028    | 2032          |
| 2029              | 2028–29    | Autumn 2029    | 2033          |

If you take a gap year, follow the policy for the year you will start, not the year you graduated. Transfer applicants usually have separate rules.

## SAT or ACT required for autumn 2027 entry

__Required for the high-school Class of 2027 (admissions pages, checked 4 October 2026)__
| College       | Last SAT accepted (early / regular)               | Notes                                                             |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Harvard       | November, October preferred / later dates allowed | Other exams only if you cannot access or afford the SAT or ACT    |
| Yale          | October or November / see Yale’s page             | New for 2027 entry: AP and IB no longer replace the SAT or ACT    |
| Brown         | October / December                                | Required again since autumn 2025 entry                            |
| Dartmouth     | See Dartmouth’s page                              | Schools outside the US may use AP, IB, A levels or national exams |
| Cornell       | See Cornell’s page                                | Required in every undergraduate college since autumn 2026 entry   |
| Penn          | 7 November / 5 December                           | Hardship waiver available                                         |
| MIT           | By 30 November / by 31 December                   | Report every sitting                                              |
| Stanford      | End of October / end of December                  |                                                                   |
| Caltech       | See Caltech’s page                                |                                                                   |
| Johns Hopkins | See Hopkins’s page                                | Required since autumn 2026 entry                                  |
| Georgetown    | See Georgetown’s page                             | Official score reports; no superscoring                           |

Yale is the biggest change this year. It used to be “test flexible”, accepting AP or IB results instead of the SAT or ACT; its 27 May 2026 update requires the SAT or ACT from autumn 2027 entry, with AP and IB as optional extras. Older articles calling Yale test-flexible are now wrong.

A requirement is not a minimum score. These colleges read your score alongside your transcript and school context, and none publishes a cutoff. For the score ranges of enrolled students, see [SAT scores at the Ivy League and top colleges](/articles/sat-scores-ivy-league-top-colleges).

## Colleges bringing tests back for the Classes of 2028 and 2029

__Announced requirements that do not yet apply to the Class of 2027__
| College                                   | Autumn 2027 entry            | Required from               | Announced        |
| ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------- | ---------------- |
| Princeton                                 | Optional                     | Autumn 2028 (Class of 2028) | October 2025     |
| Columbia College and Columbia Engineering | Optional                     | Autumn 2028 (Class of 2028) | 2026             |
| Notre Dame                                | Optional                     | Autumn 2028 (Class of 2028) | 9 September 2026 |
| Claremont McKenna                         | Optional                     | Autumn 2028 (Class of 2028) | 2026             |
| Vanderbilt                                | Optional                     | Autumn 2029 (Class of 2029) | 23 July 2026     |
| University of Alabama                     | Required if GPA is below 3.0 | Autumn 2028 for everyone    | 2025             |

If you are in the Class of 2027, you can still apply to these colleges without a score, and you can send one if it helps. If you are in the Class of 2028, plan an SAT or ACT for every college in this table. Columbia’s rule covers Columbia College and Columbia Engineering only, with a waiver for students who cannot access testing.

## Optional, flexible and not considered

__Other selective colleges, autumn 2027 entry (admissions pages, checked 4 October 2026)__
| College                                         | Policy                   | What it means                                                                     |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Duke, Northwestern, Emory, UVA, WashU, Michigan | Test-optional            | Apply with or without a score                                                     |
| University of Chicago                           | Test-optional, “no harm” | A score is used only if it helps                                                  |
| Rice                                            | Recommended              | Not required, but encouraged                                                      |
| Carnegie Mellon                                 | Varies by college        | Required for Computer Science; flexible for most colleges; optional for Fine Arts |
| University of California (incl. Berkeley, UCLA) | Not considered           | Scores play no part in admission or scholarships                                  |

“Test flexible”, as at Carnegie Mellon’s engineering, science, humanities and business colleges, means you must send something: an SAT or ACT, or named alternatives such as AP, IB or A levels. Leaving testing out of a flexible application leaves it incomplete.

## International applicants

Studying outside the US does not exempt you. Yale, MIT, Stanford, Penn and the other required-testing colleges apply the same rule to international applicants. Dartmouth is the main exception: students at schools outside the US may submit AP, IB, A-level or national exam results instead, while students at US high schools must send the SAT or ACT. Harvard accepts alternatives only when a student genuinely cannot access or afford the SAT or ACT.

English tests are a separate requirement. A TOEFL or IELTS score does not replace the SAT, and an SAT score does not always waive an English test.

## Self-reporting and superscoring

Most of these colleges, including MIT, Stanford and Brown, let you self-report scores on the application and ask for official reports only if you enrol. Georgetown requires official reports up front. MIT asks you to report every sitting rather than a combined score.

Superscoring is a separate policy: many required-testing colleges combine your best Reading and Writing and best Math across dates, but Georgetown does not. [Our superscore guide](/articles/sat-superscore-colleges-2026) lists each college’s rule and how to plan a retake around it.

## Plan around the last test each college accepts

After 4 October 2026, the remaining weekend tests this year are 7 November (register by 23 October, scores 20 November) and 5 December (register by 20 November, scores 18 December). [Our SAT test dates guide](/articles/sat-curve-test-dates-2026) has every 2026–27 deadline and score release.

* Early rounds: Stanford and Brown want October results; MIT and Penn accept November; Harvard accepts November but prefers October.
* Regular rounds: December is the last SAT for Brown, Penn, Stanford and MIT.
* Work backwards: last accepted test, then registration deadline, then how many weeks you have to prepare.
* If you can, sit early enough to leave one accepted backup date.

Not sure the SAT is the right test? [SAT vs ACT](/articles/sat-vs-act) compares the two.

If it is, [topin’s first full-length SAT mock is free](/sat/practice-test) and shows how far you are from your target before you book.

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## FAQs

Which Ivy League colleges require the SAT in 2026–27?

For autumn 2027 entry, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Penn and Dartmouth require the SAT or ACT. Princeton and Columbia stay optional until autumn 2028.

Does Yale still accept AP or IB instead of the SAT?

No. From autumn 2027 entry Yale requires the SAT or ACT; AP and IB results can be added but do not replace it.

When will Princeton require the SAT again?

From autumn 2028 entry, which normally means the high-school Class of 2028.

Is Notre Dame test-optional for the Class of 2027?

Yes. Notre Dame’s requirement starts with autumn 2028 entry.

Are international students exempt from SAT requirements?

No. Required-testing colleges apply the rule to international applicants too; Dartmouth accepts other exams from schools outside the US.

Do colleges that require the SAT have a minimum score?

None of the colleges in this tracker publishes a minimum. Their middle-50% ranges show typical scores, not cutoffs.

Do I have to send official SAT scores when I apply?

Usually not: most of these colleges accept self-reported scores and verify them if you enrol. Georgetown is an exception and wants official reports.

## Sources (checked 4 October 2026)

* [Harvard: Application requirements](https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-requirements)
* [Yale: Standardized testing](https://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing)
* [Yale News: Testing policy update (27 May 2026)](https://news.yale.edu/2026/05/27/undergraduate-admissions-updates-testing-policy)
* [Brown: Standardized tests](https://admission.brown.edu/ask/standardized-tests)
* [Dartmouth: Testing policy](https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply-dartmouth/reactivating-dartmouths-testing-policy)
* [Cornell: Standardized testing policy](https://admissions.cornell.edu/policies/standardized-testing-policy)
* [Penn: Testing](https://admissions.upenn.edu/how-to-apply/preparing-your-application/testing)
* [Princeton: Standardized testing](https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/standardized-testing)
* [Columbia: Testing policy update](https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/testing-policy-update)
* [MIT: Tests and scores](https://mitadmissions.org/apply/firstyear/tests-scores/)
* [Stanford: Testing](https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/testing.html)
* [Caltech: Standardized tests](https://www.admissions.caltech.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/standardized-tests)
* [Johns Hopkins: Standardized testing](https://apply.jhu.edu/how-to-apply/application-deadlines-requirements/standardized-testing/)
* [Georgetown: How to prepare](https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/how-to-prepare/)
* [Notre Dame: Standardized testing policy](https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/standardized-testing-policy/)
* [Vanderbilt: Testing policies](https://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/apply/testing-policies/)
* [Claremont McKenna: First-year application instructions](https://www.cmc.edu/admission/first-year-application-instructions)
* [University of Alabama: Testing requirements](https://admissions.ua.edu/testing-requirements/)
* [Carnegie Mellon: Standardized testing](https://www.cmu.edu/admission/admission/standardized-testing)
* [University of California: Standardized testing decision](https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/university-california-board-regents-unanimously-approved-changes-standardized-testing)
* [Duke: Apply](https://admissions.duke.edu/apply/)
* [Northwestern: Standardized testing policy](https://admissions.northwestern.edu/faqs/standardized-testing-policy/)
* [Emory: Standardized exam policies](https://apply.emory.edu/apply/first-year/tips/standardized-exam-policies.html)
* [UVA: Testing policy](https://admission.virginia.edu/node/446)
* [WashU: Admission requirements](https://admissions.wustl.edu/how-to-apply/admission-requirements/)
* [University of Chicago: Admissions FAQ](https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/uchicago-admissions-faq/)
* [Rice: First-year applicants](https://admission.rice.edu/apply/first-year-international-applicants)
* [Michigan: Application changes](https://admissions.umich.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/requirements-deadlines/application-changes)
* [College Board: SAT dates and deadlines](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines)

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