University of California Ends Use of SAT and ACT in Admissions

It has been officially announced that the University of California voted to “phase out” of the ACT and SAT requirements for its ten schools. You can read the official announcement in the New York Times here.

We have been anticipating this change from the University of California consortium which has increasingly expressed discontent in the SAT and ACT testing systems so the news does not come as a surprise, especially considering the uncertain landscape for testing in the 2020-2021 admissions year. Though their decision has been forthcoming for quite some time, the action they have now taken may accelerate the same decision in schools who were hanging on the edge of whether or not to keep standardized tests as a part of their admissions process. Though we could talk extensively about the trends we are expecting to see in admissions, the big question here is how will this change the process for students?

For the time being, the answer is that it won’t. If you or your student is a current rising senior, rising junior or rising sophomore, they should still plan to prepare for and take the SAT and ACT as usual. With Covid_19, this may be challenging, so students and families should be prepared to extend their testing prep plans and to sign up for as many tests as possible to ensure that they have a seat. While rising seniors may not be able to take as many tests as rising juniors will be able to, it is still important to put their best foot forward whenever possible. Though many of these schools are making the SAT and ACT an optional part of the admissions process, most schools will still be considering them as part of your admissions file. If your student can reach a competitive score on the SAT or ACT, it will only be another positive aspect on their admissions portfolio.

For more information on the changing landscape for the SAT and ACT or for specific information on college admissions for rising seniors, rising juniors, and rising sophomores, join our Lotus Premier Education Group or our Lotus Premier College Planning Group which includes a private Facebook community, live discussions, email updates and more.