As the companies behind the ACT and SAT college admissions exams suspend test administration until at least June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple colleges and universities are dropping test requirements for applicants, CNN reported.
While a number of schools had already gone test-optional in recent years, many others are joining as applicants find themselves unable to complete the exams this spring. With high schools shuttered and students, schools and households facing academic and financial uncertainty, about 51 colleges and universities have waived their SAT/ACT requirements for 2021 applicants, with some already instituting even longer suspensions.
Boston University has announced a new test-optional application for students applying for the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters, while Tufts University announced tests will be optional for a three-year period.
Other schools that have dropped or waived their testing requirements for 2021 or longer include Tulane University, all nine schools in the University of California system, all Oregon public universities, the University of Washington, Scripps College, Northeastern University and Texas Christian University.
Student Voice, a student-run nonprofit group, is urging more schools to follow suit, calling all colleges and universities to adopt test-optional application policies for fall 2021 with the new #TestOptionalNOW campaign.
While most institutions that have announced COVID-related test-optional policies have done so on a temporary basis, many students and advocacy groups are urging schools to make these changes permanent, while test administrators argue the exams remain relevant and necessary.
Ed Colby, spokesman for ACT, Inc., told CNN that the test “remains committed to benefiting” both students and universities alike, adding that “ACT scores are highly predictive of success in college.”
Meanwhile, College Board spokesman Jerome White told CNN that “the health and safety of students is our first priority and we are collaborating with higher education institutions to provide flexibility to students and to support admissions under these unprecedented circumstances.”
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