USG: No SAT/ACT scores required for admission

KCaulder@CalhounTimes.com

First-year students applying to University System of Georgia colleges for the summer and fall 2020 semesters can now be admitted without an ACT or SAT score, if they meet all other admission requirements, the system announced last Thursday.

The announcement came just days after the College Board and ACT voted to suspend all upcoming ACT and SAT testing dates. The College Board stated in a Tweet that all students who registered for the SAT will receive refunds and that additional SAT testing opportunities would be provided as soon as possible.

“Registered students will receive refunds. We will provide additional SAT testing opportunities as soon as feasible in place of canceled administrators,” tweeted the organization.

In the absence of ACT and SAT scores, University System of Georgia institutions will make admissions decisions based on the other materials submitted by prospective students and, according to a press release from the system, will utilize a GPA threshold that is at least the following sector minimum rather than the usual Freshman Index (FI) criteria:

Minimum unweighted highschool GPA:

Research universities: 3.0 Comprehensive universities: 2.31 State universities: 2.18

State colleges: 2.0

Prospective first-year students must meet all other admission requirements, including satisfactory completion of the required high school curriculum and all other requested documentation.

“Since Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia have already admitted their freshmen classes, and have students on waiting lists, this change does not affect admissions at those institutions,” Dr. Tristan Denley, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer for USG, said in the release.

Other USG schools include: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Albany State University, Armstrong State University, Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Augusta University, Bainbridge State College, Clayton State University, College of Coastal Georgia, Columbus State University,

Dalton State College, Darton State College, East Georgia State College, Fort Valley State University, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia Highlands College, Georgia Southern University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Georgia State University, Gordon State College, Kennesaw State University, Middle Georgia State University, Savannah State University, South Georgia State College, University of North Georgia, University of West Georgia and Valdosta State University.