Columbia, William & Mary Extend Test-Optional College Admissions

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, many prominent colleges and universities suspended requirements for SAT or ACT scores. But they hedged what appeared to be a radical shift, emphasizing that the test-optional admission rules were only temporary in light of the public health emergency. Now, a growing number of selective and ultra-selective schools are extending those measures for multiple years or even indefinitely. Columbia University, in New York, on Wednesday became the first Ivy League school to declare a full test-optional policy without any time limits. William & Mary, in Virginia, took the same step Thursday after analyzing results of a three-year trial.