Scholarships based on GPA are in; SAT and ACT are out

Standardized test scores normally play a significant role in how colleges hand out merit-based scholarships. Of course, these are anything but normal times, with the pandemic making it difficult, if not impossible, for many high school seniors to take the tests this fall. Who knows whether conditions will improve early next year.

As a result, more than two-thirds of four-year colleges and universities — more than 1,600 schools and counting — are not requiring students in the class of 2021 to submit SAT or ACT test scores as part of their application, according to the National Center for Fair & Open Testing Inc. The organization supports testoptional policies at colleges.

Some schools have opted for a multiyear test-optional policy, the organization said, while others have instituted this change for 2021 only.

In waiving standardized test requirements for merit-based scholarships, some schools are using a student’s high school GPA to determine aid eligibility. Most schools require students to carry at least a 3.0 grade point average.

For example, Oklahoma State University in early October announced a GPA-based scholarship that provides a minimum of $750 for in-state students and $6,000 for out-of-state students with a 3.25 grade point average or above.

The university said the scholarships, which are for students applying for the 2021 fall term, are aimed at helping those who do not have access to SAT or ACT test centers, or are struggling financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These test-optional policies vary, with some schools continuing to encourage testing and even moving application deadlines to accommodate changing test schedules. Even Oklahoma State still offers scholarships based on standardized test scores for those able to take the exams.

So should students scramble to take the tests, given the thousands of scholarship dollars at stake? Or should they lean into the new test optional model that schools are adopting because of the pandemic?

Some financial aid experts say if students are able to take the standardized tests, they should because it provides additional data for admissions officers to look at.

“If you have the opportunity to take a test, it is worthwhile to do so if you can take the test safely,” said Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher and vice president of research at SavingforCollege.com, a leading authority on 529 college savings plans.

To understand testing policies, start at the school’s website or contact the admissions office. Among the questions to ask: How are you going to make admissions decisions? Are standardized tests optional? What about the specific academic program I’m interested in? How late will you accept test scores? What will be considered as a replacement for a test score? What about the impact of qualitative factors, such as essays, recommendations, interviews and extracurricular activities?

Kantrowitz said some schools may place a greater emphasis on junior-year grades because some high schools have switched to pass/fail systems since the outbreak of the pandemic.

“Even when test scores were available,” Kantrowitz said, “colleges typically considered whether the student was capable of doing the work. Once that threshold is satisfied, getting better grades or test scores did not improve the chances of admission. Instead, colleges looked at hobbies, sports, volunteer activities, artistic ability, musical instruments to distinguish between students. That hasn’t changed with the pandemic.”