Which colleges require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?
If you’re a senior applying this fall, the colleges below ask first-year applicants entering in fall 2027 to send SAT or ACT scores. We read each policy on the college’s own admissions site. Select a college’s name to open its page.
| College | Policy for fall 2027 entry | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Brown University | SAT or ACT required | Required since the 2024–25 cycle. Brown superscores, and the SAT Essay and ACT Writing are optional. |
| Caltech | SAT or ACT required | ACT science and writing aren’t required for fall 2027 applicants. Caltech reads each section score instead of a composite. |
| Cornell University | SAT or ACT required | Applies to first-year applicants, not transfers. ACT science isn’t required. |
| Dartmouth College | SAT or ACT required for students at U.S. high schools | Students at high schools outside the U.S. have other options, such as three AP exams or IB results. Scores are superscored. |
| Georgetown University | SAT or ACT required | Georgetown asks for official scores. It highly recommends ACT science if you plan to major in the sciences. |
| Georgia Tech | SAT or ACT required | The CLT doesn’t replace the SAT or ACT. Georgia Tech recommends self-reporting your scores. |
| Harvard University | SAT or ACT required | AP, IB and similar exams count only in exceptional cases where the SAT or ACT isn’t accessible. |
| Johns Hopkins University | SAT or ACT required | Johns Hopkins superscores. ACT science and writing are optional and don’t count toward the superscore. |
| MIT | SAT or ACT required | Test before November 30 for Early Action or before December 31 for Regular Action. ACT writing and science aren’t required. |
| Ohio State University (Columbus) | ACT or SAT required | Not required if you’ll have been out of high school for two or more years. Ohio State superscores. |
| Purdue University | SAT, ACT or CLT expected | If you couldn’t take a test, Purdue allows an application without a score in exceptional cases. Scores must be from the past five years. |
| Stanford University | ACT or SAT required | Stanford has no preferred test and no minimum score. |
| University of Florida | SAT, ACT or CLT required | UF superscores and leaves ACT science out of the calculation. |
| University of Georgia | ACT or SAT required | There is no test-optional path. University System of Georgia minimums apply: 480 SAT Reading and Writing and 440 SAT Math, or 17 on ACT English or Reading and 17 on ACT Math. |
| University of Pennsylvania | SAT or ACT required | Applicants facing hardship can submit a testing waiver instead. ACT science isn’t required. |
| University of Texas at Austin | SAT or ACT required | Send at least one official score from the testing agency. An official CLT score also meets the requirement. |
| Yale University | ACT or SAT required | AP or IB scores can be added but don’t replace the ACT or SAT. ACT science and writing are optional. |
Required doesn’t mean there’s a cutoff. Brown, Penn and Stanford all say they have no minimum score. The University of Georgia is different: it applies the minimum scores set by the University System of Georgia.
What do test-required, test-optional, test-recommended and test-free mean?
- Test-required: you must send SAT or ACT scores. Some colleges also accept the CLT, and some offer a waiver for hardship.
- Test-optional: you choose whether to send scores. Princeton, for example, says fall 2027 applicants who apply without scores won’t be at a disadvantage.
- Test-recommended: scores aren’t required, but the college encourages you to send them if you have them.
- Test-free: the college doesn’t use SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you send them. Some colleges call this test-blind.
You may also see test-flexible. That usually means a college requires testing but accepts other exams, such as AP or IB, in place of the SAT or ACT. Dartmouth works this way for students at high schools outside the U.S.
Which colleges are changing their policy for fall 2028?
If you’re a junior, you’ll apply in fall 2027 for fall 2028 entry. Four colleges have already announced changes that affect you.
| College | Fall 2027 entry | Fall 2028 entry |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University (Columbia College and Columbia Engineering) | Test-optional | SAT or ACT required. Applicants facing challenges can request a waiver. |
| Princeton University | Test-optional | SAT or ACT required |
| University of Notre Dame | Test-optional | ACT or SAT required. Exceptions can be requested in extraordinary situations. |
| Vanderbilt University | Test-optional | Test-optional. Scores are required for fall 2029 entry. |
Watch the wording in headlines. Columbia’s change takes effect in August 2027, but that’s the start of the 2027–28 application cycle for students entering in fall 2028.
What about test-optional and test-free colleges?
Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt are all test-optional for fall 2027 entry. At a test-optional college, sending scores is your choice. Read the college’s own advice on whether to submit before you decide.
The University of California is test-free. According to UC’s first-year requirements, it doesn’t consider SAT or ACT scores when making admission decisions or awarding scholarships. Scores can still be used to meet some minimum requirements or for course placement after you enroll. If you want to self-report scores, UC asks you to submit your application first and then log back in to add them.
How do I check a college’s testing policy?
- Go to the college’s admissions website and find its page on standardized testing. Skip forums and ranking sites.
- Check which entry term or application cycle the page covers. Fall 2027 entry means the 2026–27 cycle.
- Note which sections count. Many of the colleges above don’t require ACT science or writing.
- Check how to send scores. Several of these colleges let you self-report and ask for official reports only if you enroll. UT Austin and Georgetown want official scores from the testing agency.
- Find the latest test date the college accepts for your application plan.
- Check the page again shortly before you submit.
When should I take the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 applications?
Each college sets its own last accepted test date. Penn, for example, lists November 7, 2026 for the SAT and October 17, 2026 for the ACT for Early Decision, and December 5, 2026 for the SAT and December 12, 2026 for the ACT for Regular Decision. Brown asks Early Decision applicants to finish testing by the last October test date and Regular Decision applicants by the last December date.
Line up those cutoffs with the national dates on our SAT, ACT and PSAT test dates page. Juniors can use our guide to 2027 SAT and ACT test dates to plan a first attempt and a retake.
Where does Hourly Prep fit?
If a college on your list requires scores, pick one test and plan backward from its deadline. If you haven’t chosen yet, the SAT or ACT quiz matches each test’s format to how you like to take tests.
Hourly Prep’s free plan includes one SAT practice test, one ACT practice test and short daily practice sets for both exams. Every question has an explanation. Premium adds an adaptive study plan, an AI tutor, 30+ SAT and 30+ ACT practice tests, 10,000+ practice problems and score estimates.
Take official practice too. College Board’s Bluebook practice tests and ACT’s free full-length practice tests are the closest rehearsal for test day.
Common testing policy questions
Do colleges that require tests accept the CLT?
Some do. UT Austin, the University of Florida and Purdue accept the CLT. Georgia Tech reviews CLT scores as extra information, but they don’t replace the SAT or ACT. Check each college’s page before you choose a test.
Do I need ACT science for test-required colleges?
Usually not. Caltech, Cornell, MIT, Penn, Yale and UT Austin say ACT science isn’t required. Georgetown highly recommends it if you plan to major in the sciences, so read the page for each college on your list.
Can I get a waiver if I can’t take the SAT or ACT?
Some colleges offer one. Penn accepts a hardship waiver, and Harvard considers other exams in exceptional cases. Columbia and Notre Dame describe waiver or exception requests for fall 2028. If a waiver isn’t listed, contact the admissions office.