Study Abroad in Columbia: Undergraduate Students No More Require Standardized Tests to Apply to Columbia University

On March 1, the Ivy League institution permanently eliminated the SAT and ACT from its admissions requirements. Applicants have more opportunities and flexibility to completely express themselves and reveal their academic abilities, interests, and ambitions. The announcement stated standardized testing is no longer a requirement for the university’s application. 

Students are still free to choose whether or not to give test results. The university’s testing policies remain the same. Individuals who opt not to send test results won’t be penalized during the hiring process.

Additional Details for Undergraduate Students

For candidates still deciding to submit test results despite the modification, the institution has made the following testing policies available. With the exception of the SAT, the ACT, and the GRE, it is mandatory for the majority of students in the United States to take the ACT. 

Columbia University does not take the optional writing component into account. Students who submit tests in different periods will be evaluated based on the highest score they have obtained in any one section of that test. Students may take standardized tests no later than November for Early Decision and January for Regular Decision (known as super scoring).

International students will still require to provide proof of their English language proficiency.  The notification states that a student’s curriculum, academic accomplishments, and shown intellectual curiosity continue to be the most crucial considerations in the admissions process. 

Testing Details for Students

Because of COVID-19, the school stopped requiring exam scores as of the 2020–21 academic year. However, last year, it chose to extend the requirement until 2023–24.

Ivy League research university Columbia University is located in New York City, USA. The university, originally founded in 1754 as King’s College is the fifth-oldest university in the nation and the oldest in New York State. 

The academic offerings at Columbia University are mostly in the fields of law, business, journalism, and international relations. The institution does, however, also provide undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in a wide range of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and medicine. A total of 36,649 students enrolled in the university last year.

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