Columbia University to reinstate SAT, ACT requirement in undergraduate admissions NEW YORK — Columbia University is reinstating a SAT or ACT requirement for undergraduate admissions, college officials announced Friday — only a few years after the Morningside Heights school formally adopted a pandemic-era policy of dropping the tests. It's the latest elite university to do so as the political tides turn again on standardized testing. The change will be effective as of the 2027-28 admissions cycle.