Rona Aydin is the founder of Oriel Admissions, a Princeton-based college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy. An Oxford University graduate, Rona leads a deeply experienced team whose distinctive 360 approach treats every part of the application - academics, testing, activities, essays, and interviews - as one connected strategy.
Whether you can change your test-optional decision after applying depends entirely on the school: Swarthmore locks the choice at submission, Wellesley and Rice allow one-way changes, and Williams, UVA, Northwestern, and Duke keep it open to stated deadlines. Compare every rule before you apply.
MIT requires the SAT or ACT for all first-year and transfer applicants, a requirement reinstated in March 2022, earlier than any elite peer. Learn MIT's superscore and full-sitting reporting rules, its self-report-only policy, the November 30 and December 31 testing deadlines, and how to plan.
Cornell requires the SAT or ACT for first-year applicants to all eight undergraduate colleges, effective fall 2026 enrollment, while transfer applicants are exempt. Learn Cornell's superscore and Score Choice rules, the ACT Science exemption, athlete requirements, and recommended test dates.
Dartmouth requires the SAT or ACT for applicants from US high schools and offers five ways for international applicants to satisfy testing, including three AP exams, IB, or A-Levels. The first Ivy to reinstate testing (February 2024), Dartmouth superscores both exams automatically. Full policy inside.
Brown requires the SAT or ACT for all first-year applicants, including recruited athletes, a policy reinstated in March 2024 beginning with the Class of 2029. Learn how Brown superscores both exams, its October and December testing deadlines, the rare-circumstance exception, and how to plan.
Penn requires the SAT or ACT for all first-year, transfer, international, homeschooled, and QuestBridge applicants, a requirement reinstated in February 2025 for fall 2026 admission. Learn how Penn's hardship waiver works, its SAT superscore policy, score timing, and how to plan testing for Penn.
Columbia announced on June 12, 2026 that it will require the SAT or ACT for all first-year and transfer applicants starting with the 2027-28 cycle, ending the Ivy League's last test-optional policy. The 2026-27 cycle is the final optional window. See the timeline, waiver rules, and how to plan.
Yale requires the SAT or ACT for all first-year and transfer applicants beginning with the 2026-27 admissions cycle, announced May 27, 2026. AP and IB scores no longer satisfy the requirement. See what changed, Yale's superscore rules, ACT section requirements, and how to plan testing for Yale.
Caltech requires the SAT or ACT for all first-year applicants and, starting with the 2026-27 cycle, evaluates scores through a distinctive bucket system: sections of 750 SAT or 33 ACT and above appear to the committee only as a range, never an exact number. Learn how the system works and how to plan.
Duke is test optional for both first-year and transfer applicants in the 2026-27 cycle, one of the last elite universities offering the choice. Learn how Duke's score-suppression and preference-change system works, its ACT superscore rules, deadlines, and when submitting scores is the right call.
Johns Hopkins requires the SAT or ACT for first-year applicants, effective with fall 2026 entry, while transfer applicants remain exempt. Learn which sections count, how the JHU superscore works, the English proficiency thresholds, testing deadlines, and how to plan a Hopkins-ready testing arc.
Northwestern is test optional for first-year and transfer applicants: scores are welcome but not required, the consideration choice is changeable in the portal after applying, and late fall scores can still be added. Learn Northwestern's superscore rules and when submitting is the right call.
Carnegie Mellon's testing policy varies by college: the School of Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT, five colleges including Engineering and Tepper are test flexible, and the College of Fine Arts is test optional with portfolios or auditions. Learn how each track works and how to plan.
Notre Dame is test optional through the 2026-27 school year for both first-year and transfer applicants, though the university notes its strongest applicants typically demonstrate significant quantitative evidence. Learn how Notre Dame treats scores, its superscore policy, and when to submit.
Rice does not require the SAT or ACT but formally recommends scores for all first-year and transfer applicants, a stance stronger than standard test optional. Learn Rice's one-way opt-in rule, its superscore policy, how the committee handles dual submitters, and when submitting is the right call.
Vanderbilt is test optional through fall 2027 entry, one of the longest-dated commitments among elite universities. Applicants indicate on the application whether scores should be considered, with no advantage or disadvantage either way. Learn how the policy works and when submitting is smart.