Columbia University will reinstate SAT or ACT requirements for first-year applicants beginning in fall 2027, though it will remain test-optional through the 2026–27 admissions cycle. The decision followed a multi-year faculty review concluding that standardized tests are “a useful indicator of potential student success.” Columbia said applicants may request exemptions for circumstances that prevent test-taking, including financial or personal hardship, lack of access to testing locations, or disruptions such as natural disasters. The university also noted that applicants who request waivers will not be penalized. The change follows broader testing-policy turbulence across selective systems, including renewed faculty attention at the University of California. For campus admissions leaders, Columbia’s move is a clear signal that test-optional governance models can shift back—especially under federal pressure to define “merit.”