Harvard College has now reportedly decided to reverse its previous decision and reintroduce the mandatory requirement of standardized testing.
Consequently, prospective students will once again be required to take either the SAT or ACT in order to be considered for admission.
Harvard’s unexpected choice follows their prior announcement that they will continue to allow students to apply without submitting exam scores until the class of 2030.
The Ivy League institution initially implemented the test-optional policy within the pandemic.
The implementation of the new regulation necessitates that undergraduate applicants who had not intended to take a test must expedite the process of scheduling their examinations prior to the application deadlines later this year.
The move also follows the reinstatement of its testing requirement by numerous other Ivy League universities, including Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown.
In 2022, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reintroduced its mandatory standardized test policy.
Cornell and Columbia, two Ivy League universities, have both implemented a permanent test-optional policy.
Although optional, the majority of Harvard undergraduates have chosen to submit their standardized exam scores, as confirmed by the university.
Harvard cited a study conducted by a Harvard-affiliated institution to support their new testing policy.
The study concluded that SAT scores have a higher predictive value for college achievement compared to a high school student’s grade point average.
Following the lifting of COVID regulations, Ivy League institutions faced criticism for prolonging the suspension of their testing mandate.
Simultaneously, other individuals commended the action, asserting that it has the potential to facilitate the admission of a greater number of underrepresented groups to esteemed educational institutions.
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