During this time of ongoing changes and tribulations, over one thousand colleges and universities around the nation will not require students to include their SAT or ACT score with their application.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some high school students have not been able to partake in higher education entrance exams. Parents were driving their children over state lines, only to find out the testing center was closed, safety regulations were not being met, and the children’s lives were being put at risk. According to IvyWise, 72% of colleges and universities incorporated test-optional policies for students who were ineligible to provide scores.

Without these universities acknowledging the difficulties of the situation and acting upon it, students are put in higher risk situations where they would complete the test in a stressful and unsanitary environment due to the lack of spatial adjustments and exposure time to other students.

According to collegeraptor.com, “scores on the SAT and ACT allow [admissions offices] to narrow down the playing field and make decisions on acceptance. This makes your individual score extremely important.”

Should universities accept students who do not send their ACT or SAT scores?

Due to the inconveniences and hardships the pandemic has brought with it, students should have the right to no send scores when they were not receiving traditional education for more than six months.