Stanford admission: SAT or ACT re-required
Stanford University will reinstate the SAT or ACT as a requirement for college admissions, joining other selective schools that are rushing to bring standardized testing back after a pause during the pandemic.
The new policy will apply to students applying next fall for admission to the class of 2030, Stanford said in a report. declare Friday, citing a midterm review that found the tests were “an important predictor of academic performance.” Testing will remain optional for students registering this year.
Stanford is participating in one return to standardized testing at schools including Harvard University, Yale University and the California Institute of Technology amid a changing admissions landscape for top students. Many schools argue that the tests can give them clearer context about whether applicants from more disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to succeed in college.
“The new testing requirement will allow Stanford to consider the most complete array of information to support each student’s application,” the Palo Alto, California-based school said.
Stanford said it is delaying the test requirement until fall 2025 to give potential applicants time to prepare.
Opponents of testing have long argued that the requirement favors wealthier students who can afford tutoring and test-prep courses. Prestigious universities began ditching testing when it became impractical at the height of the pandemic as testing centers closed.
Since then, however, some of America’s most elite schools have become increasingly concerned that not using the tests will make it harder to identify talented students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. . Colleges are also reviewing their application processes after the Supreme Court ruled last year that schools cannot consider race in admissions.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology reinstated testing requirements two years ago.
Stanford is one of the most selective universities in the US, admitting 3.9% of applicants to the class of 2027, according to university data. Its acceptance rate is lower than all Ivy League schools except Harvard, which has a rate of 3.4% for the same group.
