Amidst the COVID situations, the admission criteria are seeing a rapid change in the globally top universities. Right now, the omission of SAT and ACT scores at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and McKendree University is making a grabbing student’s attention. This week, it is announced on behalf of the university that SAT Score or ACT scores will not be required for incoming 2021 session’s admission.

Illinois University and Optional ACT and SAT Score

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and McKendree University are making SAT and ACT optional or they are adopting alternative admissions processes due to the Covid-19 scenario. Well, Illinois is not the first one to take such a drastic step - more than 1,000 colleges did the same to assist the candidates and to provide a fair opportunity to all.

The Vice President of McKendree mentioned “a test-blind policy in the future” in an email, which strengthens the fact that these standardized test scores will not be required further.

Scott Belobrajdic, SIUE's associate vice chancellor mentioned that the university may adopt the policy permanently to “avoid testing bias and inequities."

In Illinois State University, Western Illinois University, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale these tests were announced optional before the pandemic. Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville decided the same due to pandemic. It can be continued until 2021 as well as it can be a permanent solution.

The authorities of Chicago State University and University of Illinois at Springfield have not yet announced their decisions ACT or SAT scores.

Why ACT and SAT Scores are optional Now?

As SAT and ACT canceled spring and summer and there was no way out to take the test maintain the social distancing norms and take the test safely. The huge number of test-taker is a reason behind it. As there is no way to get standardized test-score, universities are readily making it optional.

What is the future of ACT and SAT?

Robert Schaeffer, the public education director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing mentioned that the first priority is student safety and the pandemic points out that the standardized test score requirements should be dropped onwards.

It is assumed that SAT will no more be required at all in the upcoming time and it is just the beginning. It is because the schools are managing well without it till now and these tests are not flawless. FairTest, a nonprofit organization to end these tests mentioned that the universities will get a better tool for altering these tests. The experts of the Urban Institute and the University of California opined the same because at University of Chicago, one of the best universities in the country, SAT was made optional in 2018.

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and McKendree University also gave hints for permanent change. GPA can be the main priority now for admission to the best universities. For undergraduate and majors, GPA is opined to be twice acceptable and reliable when compared to SAT and ACT. This is the main reason behind considering it optional permanently or develop alternative testing methods for admission purposes.

To conclude, it can be rightly said that SIUE has not yet confirmed that the test will be removed from the admission criteria permanently – they are just thinking about it. So, until SAT or ACT is officially declared as an optional method to test the candidates' eligibility, they have the take the tests sincerely and prepare for it accordingly.