COVID-19 created the biggest disruption to college admissions in decades. Some changes became permanent; others have already reversed. Here is an honest assessment of where things stand now.
Test-Optional: Expanded, Then Contracting
During COVID, nearly every college shifted to test-optional or test-blind policies because students could not safely access testing centers. This measure became permanent at many schools. However, starting in 2024 and accelerating in 2025, the most selective schools — Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown, UPenn, Johns Hopkins, and others — reinstated SAT/ACT requirements. Their reasoning: post-pandemic analysis showed that test scores remain among the best predictors of college academic success, and grade inflation had made GPA a less reliable differentiator. The test-optional trend is clearly reversing at the most selective schools.
Application Volume and Acceptance Rates
Pandemic-era test-optional policies inadvertently contributed to a surge in applications — students who previously would not have applied to selective schools due to their test scores applied without submitting them. This surge drove acceptance rates to historic lows. Harvard's acceptance rate fell from approximately 5% pre-COVID to approximately 3.6% by 2024. This effect persists regardless of testing policy changes.
Virtual Components Are Here to Stay
Virtual campus tours, virtual info sessions, and online open houses became permanent features of the admissions landscape. Schools invest meaningfully in these resources, and many students now use virtual options to research schools without the expense of in-person visits.
What Has Returned to Normal
Application deadlines, essay requirements, recommendation letter processes, and holistic review criteria have all returned to pre-pandemic norms for the current cycle.