Test Optional Policy at UVA in Fall of 2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During our fall tour, they’d set expectations for January, and they’ve since reset expectations for February. February ends this week… have we heard anything?

If we heard anything, someone would have posted in this thread and/or a new thread in this forum, there would be an update to the admission checklist https://admission.virginia.edu/admission/deadlines-instructions, and a blog article https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/.

[Anonymous]

Spoiler alert. On Friday afternoon they’ll reset expectations to March. Hoping to be wrong…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spoiler alert. On Friday afternoon they’ll reset expectations to March. Hoping to be wrong…

Sounds right though…

[Anonymous]

Hoping we know this Friday. It is on the Agenda for the BOV meeting. Finally.

[Anonymous]

Oh gosh. NP here. For some reason I thought UVA already announced TO for 2026. We would be thrilled if that turns out to be incorrect!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hoping we know this Friday. It is on the Agenda for the BOV meeting. Finally.

Which part of the agenda does it fall under? Curious if it’s one of the presentations that are already uploaded

[Anonymous]

Looks like it’s one of the last topics the last day (Friday) and no presentation yet.

[Anonymous]

FWIW - Under the Academic and Student Life Committee presentation, they list their peers as being Berkeley, Chapel Hill, Michigan and UT Austin. The first three schools are TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh gosh. NP here. For some reason I thought UVA already announced TO for 2026. We would be thrilled if that turns out to be incorrect!

+2 Bring back the tests! So tired of the TO <1300 SAT and grade inflated 4.4 kids getting into UVA.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, friends. Looks like the committee found that test required disproportionately hurts first gen applicants so is recommending not moving back to test required (or test optional indefinitely) at this time: https://bov.virginia.edu/sites/g/files/jsddwu1171/files/2025-03/Admission%20working%20group%20summary.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, friends. Looks like the committee found that test required disproportionately hurts first gen applicants so is recommending not moving back to test required (or test optional indefinitely) at this time: https://bov.virginia.edu/sites/g/files/jsddwu1171/files/2025-03/Admission%20working%20group%20summary.pdf

This is not an accurate summary. They do say that first-gen/low-income applications and attendance increased significantly during TO and that those applicant groups would have seen the greatest declines if tests had been required.

More to the point, at the end of the letter they highlight Yale (test-flexible) and UNC’s (test scores required if GPA doesn’t hit a certain threshold) policies, then conclude that “in light of the expanded range of approaches currently in use at peer institutions, we recommend that you explore other options before deciding whether UVA will return to testing or remain test optional indefinitely.”

Sounds to me like they are recommending looking at policies like Yale’s and UNC’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, friends. Looks like the committee found that test required disproportionately hurts first gen applicants so is recommending not moving back to test required (or test optional indefinitely) at this time: https://bov.virginia.edu/sites/g/files/jsddwu1171/files/2025-03/Admission%20working%20group%20summary.pdf

This is not an accurate summary. They do say that first-gen/low-income applications and attendance increased significantly during TO and that those applicant groups would have seen the greatest declines if tests had been required.

More to the point, at the end of the letter they highlight Yale (test-flexible) and UNC’s (test scores required if GPA doesn’t hit a certain threshold) policies, then conclude that “in light of the expanded range of approaches currently in use at peer institutions, we recommend that you explore other options before deciding whether UVA will return to testing or remain test optional indefinitely.”

Sounds to me like they are recommending looking at policies like Yale’s and UNC’s.

… instead of going test required though, and I suspect that’s to placate the conservatives and allow them to be test optiional longer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, friends. Looks like the committee found that test required disproportionately hurts first gen applicants so is recommending not moving back to test required (or test optional indefinitely) at this time: https://bov.virginia.edu/sites/g/files/jsddwu1171/files/2025-03/Admission%20working%20group%20summary.pdf

This is not an accurate summary. They do say that first-gen/low-income applications and attendance increased significantly during TO and that those applicant groups would have seen the greatest declines if tests had been required.

More to the point, at the end of the letter they highlight Yale (test-flexible) and UNC’s (test scores required if GPA doesn’t hit a certain threshold) policies, then conclude that “in light of the expanded range of approaches currently in use at peer institutions, we recommend that you explore other options before deciding whether UVA will return to testing or remain test optional indefinitely.”

Sounds to me like they are recommending looking at policies like Yale’s and UNC’s.

… instead of going test required though, and I suspect that’s to placate the conservatives and allow them to be test optiional longer

The reasoning is in the document. Stop making things up.

[Anonymous]

[img]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, friends. Looks like the committee found that test required disproportionately hurts first gen applicants so is recommending not moving back to test required (or test optional indefinitely) at this time: https://bov.virginia.edu/sites/g/files/jsddwu1171/files/2025-03/Admission%20working%20group%20summary.pdf

This is not an accurate summary. They do say that first-gen/low-income applications and attendance increased significantly during TO and that those applicant groups would have seen the greatest declines if tests had been required.

More to the point, at the end of the letter they highlight Yale (test-flexible) and UNC’s (test scores required if GPA doesn’t hit a certain threshold) policies, then conclude that “in light of the expanded range of approaches currently in use at peer institutions, we recommend that you explore other options before deciding whether UVA will return to testing or remain test optional indefinitely.”

Sounds to me like they are recommending looking at policies like Yale’s and UNC’s.

… instead of going test required though, and I suspect that’s to placate the conservatives and allow them to be test optiional longer

The reasoning is in the document. Stop making things up.

Parent of a junior here. For this class, it seems accurate that the committee is not recommending test required and not even strongly recommending a particular solution. Hopefully they make a definitive choice so we aren’t waiting any longer. That January announcement that the fall admissions tour mentioned just keeps getting pushed back. I’m less concerned with what some future investigation lands if it won’t impact admissions this fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, friends. Looks like the committee found that test required disproportionately hurts first gen applicants so is recommending not moving back to test required (or test optional indefinitely) at this time: https://bov.virginia.edu/sites/g/files/jsddwu1171/files/2025-03/Admission%20working%20group%20summary.pdf

This is not an accurate summary. They do say that first-gen/low-income applications and attendance increased significantly during TO and that those applicant groups would have seen the greatest declines if tests had been required.

More to the point, at the end of the letter they highlight Yale (test-flexible) and UNC’s (test scores required if GPA doesn’t hit a certain threshold) policies, then conclude that “in light of the expanded range of approaches currently in use at peer institutions, we recommend that you explore other options before deciding whether UVA will return to testing or remain test optional indefinitely.”

Sounds to me like they are recommending looking at policies like Yale’s and UNC’s.

UNC’s approach seems behind the times to me. I would think they’d want to see scores to validate the sky high GPAs kids have now.