Columbia University will require SAT or ACT scores for first-year undergraduate applicants beginning fall 2027, after a multi-year faculty review concluded test scores remain “a useful indicator” of potential student success. Columbia will stay test-optional for the 2026–27 cycle. The decision lands in the middle of broader admissions policy tension, with selective institutions weighing what standardized scores measure and how test-optional practices affect access and preparation. Columbia noted it will allow exemptions in cases involving financial hardship, lack of testing access, natural disasters, or community disruption. Admissions strategists should expect continued debate over standardized testing as lawmakers and federal policy pressure increase, and as universities revisit how they document “merit” using measurable indicators of academic foundation.