The 1500 LabThe reinstatement
Does the SAT still matter?
Yes. More than it has in years. For the class of 2028, every single Ivy League school requires a test score. Columbia was the last holdout and reversed in June 2026. Test-optional is on its way out.
What changed for the class of 2028
Every Ivy League school now requires a test score for students enrolling in fall 2028. Columbia held out the longest, and in June 2026 it reversed and reinstated the requirement.
So that's all of them. If you're planning around "test-optional" for a rising junior, you're planning around a policy that no longer exists at the schools they're most likely aiming for.
If your teen is in the class of 2028 there's time, but less than it feels like. The jump takes ten or twelve weeks once you know where the points are going.
What about the class of 2027
For the class of 2027, 7 of the 9 most selective schools in the country require a score. And if you're going for early decision, the October SAT is the last safe date.
Count backward from October and the math gets uncomfortable fast. A junior who starts "after things settle down" is usually starting too late for the ED cycle.
Which colleges require the SAT for fall 2027
More than 60 colleges and university systems require a score for fall 2027 admission. That includes the whole Florida public system, the whole Georgia public system and UT Austin, alongside the selective privates that started the return.
It's only moving one way. Schools have been reinstating the requirement rather than dropping it, and the list gets longer every cycle.
What if their school is test-optional
Test-optional doesn't mean the score has stopped mattering, only that the school no longer says that it does.
A score still decides the first cut in the places where the stakes are highest. BS/MD programs screen on it before anyone reads the file. The Academic Index at selective schools folds it in. At top computer science programs, admits cluster near a 780 in math. And at a lot of schools a strong score is still one of the things that unlocks merit aid.
When your teen's score is strong, it counts everywhere. When it's missing, it only "doesn't count" at the schools that were never the goal.
Frequently asked questions
Do Ivy League schools require the SAT again?
Yes. For the class of 2028, every Ivy League school requires a test score. Columbia held out the longest and reversed its test-optional policy in June 2026, effective for students enrolling in fall 2028.
Which colleges require the SAT for fall 2027?
More than 60 colleges and university systems, including the whole Florida and Georgia public systems and UT Austin. Among the most selective schools, 7 of 9 require a score for the class of 2027.
Do test-optional colleges still look at SAT scores?
In practice, yes. A score still decides first cuts at a lot of test-optional schools. BS/MD programs screen on it, the Academic Index folds it in at selective schools, and at top computer science programs admits cluster near a 780 in math. A strong score is also still one of the things that unlocks merit aid.
How long does it take to raise an SAT score?
A real jump.. 200 points, or a climb into the 1500s.. usually takes ten or twelve weeks of targeted work. That's why the deadline math matters. Count back from a fall test date and there's less time than it looks.
Whatever the school's policy says, the score is back to being the one part of the application you can still move quickly. Ten or twelve weeks, if you know exactly where the points are going.
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