(NewsNation) — Students applying to enter Harvard in the fall of 2025 will have to submit standardized test scores, according to a new policy announced by the college.

Applicants will need to provide SAT or ACT scores, though in exceptional circumstances where a student cannot access those tests, other eligible tests can be used.

In June 2020, Harvard instituted a test-optional admissions policy, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic limiting access to standardized testing. Students could still submit test results if they desired, and a majority of those accepted did so.

In a message to the community, Edgerly Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra said a number of factors were considered when making the decision.

She said standardized tests provide information that can help predict a student’s success in college and after, and without test scores, students may withhold information about their K-12 education that could potentially help them.

Research from two Harvard professors used data from more than 400 institutions to examine socioeconomic diversity and admissions. They found standardized tests were an important tool for identifying promising students from schools with fewer resources.

The university acknowledged that standardized tests are not an unbiased measure of success due to socioeconomic differences but said other methods, such as extracurriculars and recommendation letters, have even more bias.

In recent years, some nonprofits have offered test-prep tools at no charge to help students prepare for the SAT and ACT.