Notre Dame scrapped its COVID-era test-optional policy in a September 9 statement announcing that it will be reinstating mandatory standardized tests, beginning in the fall 2027 admissions cycle.
Notre Dame follows a national trend with its reintroduction of mandatory test scores for undergraduate applicants. Columbia, which will begin requiring scores in 2027, was the last Ivy League college to abandon its test-optional policies this past June, a month after Yale made the same move.
The September announcement requires first-year and transfer applicants to submit either an SAT or ACT score. “Notre Dame’s decision follows a detailed review of its own admissions data across multiple cycles, which confirmed that standardized test scores provide important quantitative evidence of academic preparation and showed a strong correlation between test scores and classroom performance after students matriculate,” the announcement read.
Following the testing disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame introduced a test-optional pilot program for 2020-2021 applicants in June of 2020, originally intended to last only a year.
But the policy was later extended through the 2023 application cycle, and once more after that. Don Bishop, then associate vice president of undergraduate enrollment, explained in 2021 that the test-optional policy in no way hindered the university’s ability to accurately judge students’ academic strengths, saying, “[W]e feel confident that our evaluation process remains strong and we are selecting students who will find success at Notre Dame.”
Concerns about the test-optional policies implemented by a majority of American universities rose within the academic community as COVID became a thing of the past. An open letter written this past May by faculty from the University of California warned about the deteriorating capabilities of admitted students in math and science classes, which were forcing professors to “re-teach middle school mathematics.”
An internal study conducted by Yale in 2025 found that standardized tests were “strong predictors” of a student’s academic ability and were “less subject to bias than other elements of an application.”
Notre Dame’s announcement emphasized the university’s unchanged commitment to a holistic admissions process. “[T]his change will not alter the comprehensive nature of the admissions process,” the press release read, noting that test scores are “one data point among dozens” used when evaluating an applicant.
Micki Kidder, vice president of undergraduate enrollment, added, “Rooted in our Catholic mission and committed to academic excellence, we want students with strong academic potential, high moral character, and a desire to serve the common good. A test score, evaluated in full context of an applicant’s individual circumstances, is an additional measure to aid us in that process.”
The press release also included a list of university initiatives aimed at guaranteeing affordability and accessibility to all its applicants during the admissions process.
Freshmen students at Notre Dame were generally favorable towards the decision. “I think that it’s good for there to be a baseline for everyone,” ROTC freshman Ryan Sweatman told the Rover.
“I think requiring standardized testing is great,” freshman Gabe Sigrist said. “It’s another piece of information for Notre Dame to consider on an application that helps them understand a student’s academic preparation. I also expect that Notre Dame will put more weight on essays, leadership, and service involvement than on chasing a threshold for scores.”
“I think the requirement is probably a good thing to bring back,” freshman Amelia Wright told the Rover. “I didn’t submit my SAT, not because I doubted the score, but because the bar at Notre Dame had climbed so high it felt like submitting a decent score might actually hurt me. That’s why I think bringing the SAT back matters. It gives every applicant a real comparable measure again, instead of making students gamble on withholding a number that used to be pretty good.”
“At the same time,” Wright added, “I recognize that the opportunity for people to get tutors and take the SAT many times varies, so while it’s a helpful data point, it’s not completely standardized.”
Lucy Trotter is a senior majoring in piano performance and the Program of Liberal Studies, with a minor in philosophy. She applied test-optional. Send her your condolences at lspence@nd.edu.