The University has extended its test-optional admission policy for another year, according to the University’s admission website.
All eight members of the Ivy League (Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell University, Brown, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania) will remain test-optional through the 2022–23 admissions cycle. Columbia and Cornell University formally extended their test-optional policy through the Fall 2024 application cycle. Harvard announced its test-optional policy would be effective for four years through the Fall 2026 cycle.
All eight have cited the pandemic and the resulting disruptions and lack of accessibility to testing as a reason for extending their test-optional policies.
The University first announced its test-optional policy for the 2021 admissions cycle in the summer of 2020, citing the challenges students, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, faced in testing during the pandemic. At that time, the University was last in the Ivy League to adopt a test-optional policy.
When this test-optional policy took effect in the Fall 2021 admissions cycle, there was a substantial increase in applicants to Ivy League colleges.
The Daily Princetonian spoke with students about the change in the University’s admission policy for the upcoming year.
“I believe ACT and SAT preparation is necessary for a good score which creates an even bigger gap between those with resources and those without,” Alaa Omer ’25 said, referring to the economic barriers associated with standardized testing.
Mina Quesen ’23 said that dropping the testing requirement will re-orient Princeton’s admission criteria for the better.
“Princeton’s dedication to students shouldn’t depend on a test score, and dropping this piece from the application puts greater importance on the student as a person, not a number,” she said.
Fardowso Shidad ’25 told the ‘Prince’ that her concerns for required standardized testing extend beyond the 2022–23 admissions cycle.
“For me, it’s not really about Class of ’27 getting test-optional,” Shidad said. “I just feel as though standardized testing has many flaws.”
The ‘Prince’ also reached out to the University Office of Communications for further comment and was referred to the standardized testing policy listed on Princeton’s website.
“Students who opt to apply to Princeton without an ACT or SAT will not be at a disadvantage in our process. We will continue with a holistic evaluation of each application and will continue to assess testing requirements for students applying after next year’s cycle,” the website reads.
Mikayla Merin is a news contributor at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at mm3124@princeton.edu or @mickyyyyyyy__.
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