The academic landscape has changed completely in the wake of COVID-19. Towards the end of the semester, all classes are held online in order to maintain academic continuity. With safety issues still in question, colleges are preparing to make further changes in the coming academic year. One of the most significant changes is some colleges waiving ACT/SAT requirements.
COVID-19 Cancellations
The ACT and College Board have been cancelling test dates progressively and are exploring other ways to conduct tests. This is not surprising as it is neither practical nor safe to continue with traditional testing. The College Board recently announced the cancellation of the test scheduled for June 6, 2020. Both the ACT and the College Board have stated that they are looking at ways to conduct online testing should the stay-at-home situation continue.
For years, the ACT/SAT have been a mandatory part of the college application process. Under the circumstances, many colleges are considering suspending the standardized-test requirement, albeit temporarily.
Will this make college admission easier for you? What are the challenges you should expect? Here’s what you should know about the future of college admissions and how you may be affected.
Colleges That Have Temporarily Waived the ACT/SAT Requirements
There are two things you should know about colleges dropping the ACT/SAT requirements for admissions:
Not all colleges have announced their plans of suspending the test requirements yet. It’s mainly wait and watch for many colleges but the list is growing every day.
Colleges that have announced the suspension are making it clear that this is just a temporary measure for 2020 admissions only. They will re-assess the requirements regularly depending on the evolving scenario. Some colleges MAY consider making this change permanent.
There are a number of schools that have temporarily suspended the ACT/SAT requirements for the 2020 admission cycle. According to FairTest.org (as of May 28th), the following colleges are waiving ACT/SAT tests for 2020:
Colleges Waiving ACT/SAT Requirements:
- Adelphi College (New York)
- Alabama A & M University
- Alabama State University
- Albion College
- Alma College
- Austin Peay State University for applicants with GPA of 2.85 or higher
- Auburn University at Montgomery
- Bethany College (Kansas)
- Bismarck State College
- Bluefield State University
- Brigham Young University – Idaho
- Central College (Tennessee)
- Cleveland State College
- Clarion University
- Cottey College
- Emmanuel College
- Fairmont State University
- Franklin College
- Indiana University Kokomo, Northwest, and Southeast
- Indiana Wesleyan University
- Iowa Wesleyan University
- Jackson State University
- Kent State University for applicants with GPAs of 3.2 or above
- Kutztown University
- Lamar University
- Limestone College
- Lock Haven University
- Longwood University
- Malone University
- Mansfield University
- Marymount Manhattan College
- McMurry University for applicants with GPAs of 3.0 and above
- Midway University
- Millersville University
- Millikin University
- Minnesota State University — Mankato for applicants with 3.0 GPAs and top half of high school class
- Minnesota State University — Moorhead
- Mississippi College
- Newberry College
- Northern Kentucky University
- Ohio University (includes applicants through Spring 2021)
- Rutgers University — Newark
- Saint Vincent College
- St. Mary’s University (Texas)
- St. Thomas Aquinas College
- St. Thomas University
- Savannah College of Arts and Design
- Schreiner University for applicants with GPAs of 3.25 or above
- Southern Arkansas University for applicants with GPAs of 2.3 or above
- Southwest Baptist University
- Thiel College
- The University of Akron
- University of Alaska Fairbanks
- The University of Dayton
- University of Mobile for applicants with GPAs of 2.75 or above
- The University of Mount Union
- University of Nevada – Las Vegas
- The University of Nevada – Reno
- University of North Dakota – Grand Forks
- The University of Pittsburgh Regional Campuses (Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown, and Titusville)
- University System of Georgia (all public campuses except Georgia Tech and UGa)
- The University of Virginia – Wise
- Washington State University Vancouver
- Wayne State University
- West Virginia State University
- Westminster College (Pennsylvania)
- Winthrop University (South Carolina)
Things Are Changing Everyday – What You Need To Do
Things are changing everyday with more schools deciding to go test-optional or suspend testing altogether. Don’t make the mistake of presuming that you will not need to do the SAT/ACT altogether. The ACT and College Board are looking for ways to conduct testing by September.
Meanwhile colleges are still deciding on their admissions policies. The best thing you can do at this time is check the ACT and College Board sites regularly to stay abreast of the latest announcements. Also check the websites of the colleges you’re interested in to stay updated on their latest admissions policies.
If you’ve already taken the ACT/SAT, check out how your score affects your acceptance odds with College Raptor’s free match tool!
