Yale Reinstates Standardized Test Requirements for Admissions

Overview

• Yale University announces the reinstatement of standardized test requirements for the fall 2025 admissions cycle, ending its test-optional policy.
• Applicants can now submit SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) scores, introducing a 'test-flexible' policy.
• The decision is based on findings that standardized test scores are the single greatest predictor of a student's future Yale grades, even after controlling for income and other variables.
• Yale aims to increase diversity and fairness in admissions by requiring test scores, countering the disadvantage faced by applicants from lower socio-economic backgrounds under the test-optional policy.
• The move follows similar decisions by other Ivy League institutions, with Dartmouth College also reinstating standardized testing requirements earlier.