A Utah State Student (Courtesy Utah State University)
LOGAN, Utah — Utah State University says they will be suspending their ACT and SAT requirements for incoming 2021 students heading into their spring, summer and fall semesters.
The Aggies say this change to their test-optional admission plan comes due to the “logistical test-preparation and administration disruptions” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
That means, “Students will be evaluated for admission solely based on their grade point average, and all applicants may still decide to include standardized test scores with their applications for admissions,” the university wrote on Thursday.
They say students with a High School GPA between 2.9 and 4.0 will be admitted in good standing, those with a GPA between 2.5 and 2.89 will be considered for provisional admission and those with a GPA below 2.49 will have an earned admission option.
“USU recognizes that prospective students may have faced challenges completing testing,” said Katie Jo North, executive director of new student enrollment.
“This shift is designed to relieve some of the uncertainty high school students may feel right now. We want our students prepared for the rigor of our programs, but we also want to be accessible and fair to those who missed their opportunity or whose financial constraints prevent them from taking the test multiple times to increase their score.”
The university says that over the next year they will conduct an in-depth review of student retention and recruitment data that will be given to a committee of faculty and administrators where a more long-term decision will be made about the future of standardized test requirements.
Utah State announced that they would be returning to a modified in-person class schedule in June.