For students applying for college in fall 2022, there’s a greater chance than ever that they can skip admission exams like the SAT and ACT.
The test-optional movement started before the pandemic as a way to open doors for students who might have good grades and resumes but don’t do well on standardized exams. COVID-19 forced more schools to join in as testing opportunities were canceled in 2020.
A group called FairTest, which is critical of standardized testing, tracks schools that offer test-optional admission. It says more than 1,800 schools are not requiring SAT or ACT scores for admission in fall of 2022, the applications that are due in January.
That’s a record, and represents almost 80% of the schools that award bachelor’s degrees, the group says. The state-funded universities in North and South Carolina are among them. So are Charlotte-area schools such as Belmont Abbey College, Charlotte Christian College, Davidson College, Johnson C. Smith University, Queens University and Pfeiffer University.
Most schools allow students to submit scores if they think it will help their chances, while a small number won’t consider scores at all.
Copyright 2021 WFAE
