TRENDING

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many once-ordinary events have been cancelled—the SAT and ACT tests being one of them. These tests were first cancelled in the spring, when it was deemed unsafe for large amounts of people to gather together in one space, making the tests impossible to take. The spring tests were rescheduled for summer, only for those to be cancelled too, as the virus continued is spread and cases surged. Although there are supposed to be tests administered this fall, it's still unclear if they will actually happen or if it will be too unsafe.

Due to these repeated cancellations, thousands of high school students have not been able to take their SAT or ACT tests, and now don't have scores to submit when they apply to colleges this fall. 

However, many colleges around the country are aware of the situation and are altering their admissions requirements to match the needs of students in these unprecedented circumstances. 

An increasing number of colleges are dropping the SAT and ACT requirement, and with different variations—some schools, like the University of Oregon, are planning to make their schools permanantly test-optional from this point on. Some institutions, such as Harvard University, are only going test-optional for the 2021 academic year, and some colleges, like the University of California schools, are planning to phase out their standardized testing requirement altogether over the course of a few years.

According to FairTest.org, "more than half of all U.S. four-year colleges and universities will be test-optional for fall 2021 admission," including many prestigious schools such as Standford University, Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania. 

Colleges around the country have released official statements regarding their new testing policies, such as this statement from Yale University's admission website: 

"In response to the extraordinary circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Yale is temporarily suspending its requirement that first-year applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT. The change will be in effect during the 2020-21 admissions cycle for first-year applicants who intend to matriculate in fall 2021. Applicants who are unable to complete an exam or who choose not to report exam scores will not be disadvantaged." 

Many colleges, similarly to Yale, have stated that students' chances of admissions will not be harmed if they don't submit test scores, which has become a great area of concern for those who might be unable to submit their scores. 

With the list of test-optional colleges constantly changing and growing, it can be a bit difficult to stay up-to-date with the current admissions requirements for many schools. Websites such as 2021admissions.org have the full list of test-optional schools, and regularly update the site if anything changes or new colleges join the test-optional list.

In this unprecedented situation, many colleges are doing the right thing by being flexible with their testing requirements, and are putting students' needs first as the circumstances constantly evolve amidst college application and admission season. 

by Maya Camu | 7/21/2020