After Dartmouth, Yale University reinstates SAT, allows AP and IB scores

The university, in an official statement, said it will expand the list of tests that fulfil the requirement to include Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams in addition to the SAT and ACT.

Yale University, an Ivy League university, has announced a new policy on standardised testing for first-year and transfer applicants for undergraduate admissions.

This is followed by the recent decision of Dartmouth College, which also readopted the standardised testing requirement for undergraduate (UG) admission beginning with applicants to the Class of 2029.

After four years with a test-optional policy that allowed applicants to decide whether or not to submit test scores, Yale said it will resume requiring scores of all applicants.

However, the university, in an official statement, said it will expand the list of tests that fulfil the requirement to include Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams in addition to the SAT and ACT.

“Test scores convey a relatively small amount of information compared with the rich collection of insights and evidence we find in a complete application. I believe standardised tests are imperfect and incomplete alone, but I also believe scores can help establish a student’s academic preparedness for college-level work,” said Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid at Yale University

“For students attending high schools with fewer resources, applications without scores can inadvertently leave admissions officers with scant evidence of their readiness for Yale. When students attending these high schools include a score with their application — even a score below Yale’s median range — they give the committee greater confidence that they are likely to achieve academic success in college. Our research strongly suggests that requiring scores of all applicants serves to benefit and not disadvantage students from under-resourced backgrounds,” he added.

For those students whose schools do not offer AP or IB qualifications, Quinlan clarified that Yale’s policy does not mean that students without AP or IB courses or scores are disadvantaged.

“I hope students and educators will base their curricular decisions around their community’s interests and needs, and not interpret this policy as elevating AP or IB courses over other rigorous college preparatory programs….Students who have not completed any AP or IB exams before their senior year of high school should ensure that they complete the ACT or SAT,” he said.

More than 57,000 students applied for first-year admission in 2024, up from 35,000 before Yale adopted a test-flexible policy, an increase of 66 percent in just four years, Quinlan said.