WISCONSIN — Students looking to enroll at most University of Wisconsin System schools won’t have to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of their admission applications this year or next.
The system’s Board of Regents approved a plan Thursday to scrap requirements for the test scores in applications to all system schools except UW-Madison for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years.
System officials say dropping the requirement will allow applicants to move ahead without being penalized for their inability to take the tests as testing agencies cancel appointments during the coronavirus pandemic.
Marquette University has also waived the requirement for ACT or SAT scores. However, their decision came back in June of 2019 and is a permanent decision.
“Four years of strong performance in rigorous high school coursework has always been the most important measure in Marquette's holistic admission review,” Provost Kimo Ah Yun said. “Requiring standardized tests was never intended to dissuade individuals from applying who felt they had the capacity to succeed here.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank told the regents that almost all applicants for this fall had to turn in their applications by Feb. 1 so they had already taken the tests before the pandemic struck. If 2021-22 applicants struggle to find settings to take their tests next year the university may revisit its policies, she said.
The regents approved the waiver unanimously.