Getting into Harvard just got a little bit easier
Students are instead encouraged to submit information about their community involvement and high school accomplishments.
Harvard University announced that it will not require standardized test scores for the class of 2025.
Harvard University is waiving its standardized testing requirements for the class of 2025 citing obstacles related to COVID-19.
“We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has created insurmountable challenges in scheduling tests for all students, particularly those from modest economic backgrounds, and we believe this temporary change addresses these challenges,” the school explained on its website.
“Consistent with Harvard’s whole-person admissions process, standardized tests are only one factor among many,” Harvard said. “Students who do not submit standardized testing this coming year will not be disadvantaged in the application process.”
[RELATED: First Ivy League school drops SAT/ACT requirement because of pandemic]
In the same announcement, Harvard encouraged prospective students to submit accomplishments in regards to community involvement and high school achievements. However, it also said that “students who find themselves limited in the activities they can pursue due to the current coronavirus outbreak will not be disadvantaged as a result, nor will students who are only able to present pass/fail grades or other similar marks on their transcripts this spring.”
Harvard is not the first U.S. university to drop its standardized testing requirements.
Cornell University was the first Ivy League institution to do so as schools across the nation began grappling with new realities presented by the coronavirus. Both ACT and College Board moved their spring testing dates to June, and the College Board said its fall testing dates are filling up quickly. Both have added additional test dates in order to accommodate more students.
The College Board had planned to conduct at-home testing for the SAT, but scrapped it after at home AP tests caused significant distress for those who experienced technical difficulties.
[RELATED: College Board scraps plan for online SAT after disastrous online AP exams]
“We have asked colleges to extend deadlines for receiving test scores and to equally consider students for admission who are unable to take the test due to the coronavirus (covid-19),” the Board said on its website.
Harvard ranks in the top 10 of U.S. colleges in both average ACTand SAT scores. Its early action enrollment deadline will currently remain Nov. 1 and its regular action Jan. 1.
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