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Diving overview:
- Cornell University once again Standardized test scores are required Latest Ivy League Schools for Students Seeking Undergraduate Admission in Fall 2026 Retire test option policy.
- The college will remain test-optional for applicants seeking admission in the fall of 2025. According to Monday's announcement: Cornell encouraged students to submit SAT or ACT scores.
- Like other high-profile universities that have reinstated testing requirements, Cornell University cited concerns that some students were withholding scores that could help their applications. The university also referenced internal data showing that admitted students who included test scores had “somewhat stronger GPAs” at Cornell than those who did not.
Dive Insights:
Cornell joins a growing list of Ivy League schools that have recently revived standardized testing requirements, while Brown University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University and Yale University are all making similar moves.
Columbia University, Princeton University And the University of Pennsylvania, three other Ivy League institutions, have so far maintained test-optional policies. And more than 2,000 four-year colleges do not. ACT or SAT scores required According to a tally of students seeking to enroll this fall: FairTest advocates limited use of standardized testing.
A Cornell task force of eight faculty members and administrators examined the impact of repealing the university's testing requirements in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Five departments at Cornell University have moved to test-optional policies, while three other colleges have waived testing. This means that even if students submit their scores, they will not be reviewed by admissions staff.
According to the task force's announcement: 7 page reportMembers found “no clear indication” that test-optional policies had increased the diversity of first-year students.
The university saw some gains in underrepresented students between the fall 2020 cohort and subsequent cohorts that required them to submit test scores. But this trend has persisted for several years, the task force said.
They also found that applicants who provided test scores to Cornell's test-optional colleges were significantly more likely to be accepted. JayApproximately 24% of applicants submitted scores for fall 2023 undergraduate admission. However, more than 42% of students who passed sent their test results.
The task force expressed concerns that students were withholding scores that could have helped them with their applications.
“Read with context. Applicants whose test scores may be below the average for Cornell students but well above the average for their high school may be considered for desirable admission,” they wrote. “Test scores enable these types of decisions.”