Due to the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, all colleges and universities needed to opt for a test-blind or test-optional standardized testing policy. Most have kept this policy in place for many reasons but this year we have seen a trend from a few highly selective schools opting to transition back to requiring a standardized test as part of the admissions application. These schools had required a standardized test prior to the Pandemic. This topic is constantly changing and news about schools and updates are daily.

Many in higher education wonder if this will be the start of a trend where we will see most schools go back to requiring either the SAT or ACT Here’s what I think will happen at least for the near future:

Many (but not all) highly selective schools that had required an exam will revert back to requiring one. There is a case for both sides of this discussion and different schools will make their own decision.
Schools that are not as selective, meaning the majority of all schools, will be a mix but most of them still stay test-optional; especially the colleges and universities that were test-optional or test-blind prior to the Pandemic.
Best advice is to check the admissions page of the colleges and universities that you plan to apply to and see if they are test-optional for the admissions cycle for which you are applying. 80% of colleges and universities are test-optional. https://fairtest.org (has a list of all test-optional schools)
And take either the SAT or ACT so you have a score, in case you need to submit.