Harvard University Reinstates SAT/ACT in Admission Requirements
Following other Ivy Leagues, Harvard Joins the College Trend of Requiring SAT/ACT Exams for the Next Admissions Cycle
This email is written by Program Director Jasmine Ngo
Tigerway Team Members and Families,
Harvard University has announced its decision to reinstate the requirement of SAT/ACT scores for students seeking admission, beginning in the fall of 2025.
This marks a reversal from the university's previous decision to waive standardized testing requirements due to the pandemic.
Other Ivy League peers like Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown have recently announced the return to standardized testing, citing its potential to provide admissions officers with a broader context for evaluating applicants, especially those from less privileged backgrounds.
Hopi Hoekstra, dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, emphasized the university's commitment to identifying and supporting promising students from diverse backgrounds.
The move aims to address systemic inequities in educational access and ensure that talent is recognized, regardless of background.
It's important to note that Harvard and other elite institutions consider test scores alongside a holistic review of an applicant's experiences, skills, talents, and community work. Additionally, the university evaluates academic qualifications relative to the student's high school contexts, acknowledging the diversity of educational opportunities across different regions and backgrounds.
The reinstatement of testing requirements overlaps with Harvard's efforts to enhance diversity in its student body, including initiatives to recruit students from rural backgrounds who historically haven’t applied to elite colleges.
By reinstating testing, colleges gain a more comprehensive understanding of an applicant’s academic preparedness and potential for college-level success, particularly compared to their peers from similar high school environments.
As prestigious institutions adjust their admissions policies, the conversation around standardized testing and equitable access to higher education continues to develop.
At Tigerway, we offer In-Person and Online coaching with the latest Digital SAT material. Along with our SAT/ACT training, we will ensure to provide you with all the information you need to feel even more prepared for future college application trends and cycles.
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At Tigerway, we help our students succeed on the current and new Digital SAT. We strive to keep our students up-to-date with our wide collection of resources from our digital library. In addition, we assist students in developing effective strategies for tackling SAT problems and provide individualized support to help each student reach their goals.
Our Coaching program supports SAT/ACT, High School Courses (Regular/AP), and College Admissions Strategy. If you are interested in our program, please contact us, Program Director Jasmine Ngo, or Coach Larry Cheung. Please give us a call today for a roadmap session on how academic coaching, SAT/ACTs, and college consulting can help you. We currently have a waitlist for private coaching and it will be first come first serve.
Feel free to read the other emails that we’ve sent out from our Substack Email List - all public:
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Tigerway is a proud Founding Member of the National Test Prep Association (NTPA) where the NTPA consistently communicates with the College Board’s SAT Exam Team and ACT Exam to understand the future of academics and standardized testing.
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