Yale May Reinstate SAT Requirement, Following Dartmouth

In a potential shift in admissions policy, Yale University is contemplating requiring prospective students to submit standardized testing scores. This move comes shortly after Dartmouth College’s decision to reverse its pandemic-era policy and reintroduce the requirement. Jeremiah Quinlan, the dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale, disclosed to Bloomberg that the university is currently deliberating the policy change, with an official announcement expected in the upcoming weeks.

The notion of a policy shift was hinted at by Quinlan in a recent episode of the Admissions Beat podcast on Oct. 24, as reported by Bloomberg. However, it remains unclear from Bloomberg’s report when the proposed policy would take effect or which academic class it would impact.

Dartmouth College, in a similar vein, announced on Feb. 5 that it would reinstate its standardized testing requirement starting with the class of 2029. This decision aligns with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) move to reintroduce standardized testing scores as part of its admissions process in 2022.

Yale, like over a thousand other colleges and universities across the United States, had suspended the requirement for applicants to submit SAT and ACT scores in June 2020 in response to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the New Haven, Connecticut-based university expanded its test-optional policy for several application cycles. MIT notably became the first prestigious university to reverse its test-optional policy, as reported by NBC News.

In its announcement regarding the policy change, Dartmouth cited an analysis of faculty research indicating that high school grades and standardized test scores are the most reliable indicators of success at the institution. This sentiment echoes a broader trend among universities that have reinstated standardized testing requirements, emphasizing the value of these scores in evaluating prospective students.

As colleges and universities navigate the evolving landscape of admissions policies, the debate over the role of standardized testing in evaluating student readiness for higher education continues. Yale’s potential reinstatement of the SAT requirement adds another layer to this ongoing discussion, with implications for future applicants and the broader academic community.