Yale announces test-optional policy for 2020-2021 undergraduate admissions cycle

This statement was updated Aug. 17, 2020

In response to the widespread disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions will temporarily suspend its requirement that first-year applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT.

 The change will be in effect during the 2020-2021 admissions cycle for applicants to the Class of 2025. Applicants who are unable to complete an exam or who choose not to report exam scores will not be disadvantaged in the selection process. As announced previously, SAT Subject Tests will not be considered during the 2020-2021 admissions cycle.  

This one-year policy change reflects the extraordinary circumstances that students, families, and educators are currently facing. This policy applies only to students graduating from secondary school in the 2020-2021 academic year. Transfer applicants and students who intend to apply for admission to enroll in fall 2022 or later should plan to complete the ACT or SAT by the appropriate deadlines.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions remains committed to a whole-person review process that relies on experienced application readers and a committee of admissions officers, faculty, and deans to consider every applicant’s unique context and circumstances. This commitment extends to Yale’s evaluation of a student’s test scores, when available. For applicants who choose to send scores, the Admissions Committee will continue to view the scores within the context of the student’s entire file; to focus on the highest individual section scores for students who have completed the exam more than once; to accept self-reported scores for the purposes of evaluation; and to take context into account if a student has had limited or no opportunities to complete an exam.

Whether an applicant chooses to report standardized test results or not, the committee will pay close attention to a student’s high school transcript, letters of recommendation, and demonstrated academic drive and commitment. As always, the committee will make decisions with the best information available and with as much flexibility as possible to consider applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. 

Students who have completed AP Exams, IB Exams, or AICE Exams prior to submitting their applications may opt to self-report scores in the application, but there is no expectation that students enrolled in academic-year courses associated with any of these tests complete exams in spring or summer 2020. 

The current circumstances are unprecedented in our lifetimes, but the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is responding by remaining committed to the thoughtful, student-centered principles and practices that have guided its work for decades.