Colleges nationwide suspend ACT/SAT admissions requirements
Prospective students for fall 2020 may find it easier to get into some universities around the country.
Several universities and colleges in America are beginning to ease their admissions requirements for prospective students by waiving ACT/SAT standards given testing cancellations and postponements due to the coronavirus. The abrupt health crisis led to ACT pushing its April testing date to June, and the College Board pushing the May SAT into June as well.
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The University of California system announced Wednesday that it would be among other university systems to ease requirements by waiving standardized test standards for fall 2020 applicants.
“We want to help alleviate the tremendous disruption and anxiety that is already overwhelming prospective students due to COVID-19,” said John A. Pérez, chair of the UC Board of Regents. “By removing artificial barriers and decreasing stressors – including suspending the use of the SAT – for this unprecedented moment in time, we hope there will be less worry for our future students.”
While students are not precluded from taking these standardized tests, UC notes that the change in the admissions process will “ensure that no student is harmed in admissions selection should they not submit a test score.”
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The University System of Georgia also opted to waive standardized testing requirements. The decision stipulates that students will be assessed on all other admission requirements in the absence of available test scores.
Similar to the UC decision, USG’s change in admissions does not preclude students from submitting their standardized test scores should they have already tested and are able to report them.
Some private universities and smaller colleges like Alma College in Michigan and Schreiner University in Texas have also decided to waive certain admission standards such as standardized test scores.
Regarding UC’s decision to ease admission requirements in the wake of coronavirus, National Association of Scholars Director of Research David Randall told Campus Reform, “Since the UC system is presumably in a financial panic, this move will allow them to admit far more students, with associated Federal student loans and grants for tuition--and have an excuse for the accreditors, if loads of students then drop out and play hob with the UC retention rate.”
”The change suits UC’s financial interests, and will most likely result in many more unprepared students acquiring heavy debt for the privilege of flunking out of the UC system,” Randall added.
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