Johns Hopkins University in Maryland will again require SAT or ACT standardized test scores for undergrad admissions starting in fall 2026. After three years of test-optional policies brought on by the pandemic, the university decided last week that standardized test scores are too important to leave out.
The change affects students applying to the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering. Those applying for fall 2025 can still choose to skip the test, but Johns Hopkins is encouraging them to submit scores if possible.
After a deep dive into recent admissions data and academic research, the university found that test scores, when viewed alongside other factors, are a solid predictor of student success at Johns Hopkins. The review also hinted that going test-optional might have unintentionally held back some applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds who could have benefited from submitting their scores.
"Johns Hopkins has long utilized a holistic approach to its admissions process and will continue to do so. This approach is one that examines students' academic character, impact and initiative, and personal contributions through a multifaceted lens that considers the entirety of their high school career," officials said.
Johns Hopkins has followed the growing trend of schools bringing back the requirement for standardized tests following years of making the test optional due to limited access during the pandemic.
As of this year, more than 2,000 bachelor-degree granting institutions are not requiring standardized exams for fall 2025 admissions, according to a study by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing. However, many Ivy League schools and other top universities have begun reinstating these tests by 2025, including Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, Caltech, Georgetown, MIT, Stanford, as well as Florida and Georgia's public state university systems.
