UT extending SAT, ACT ‘test-optional’ policy to fall 2023

For another year, students won’t be required to take the SAT or ACT to gain acceptance into the University of Texas at Austin.

The state university is the latest to extend its “test-optional” policy, which many higher education institutions adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are still “encouraged” to submit their scores if they have them, but it’s not required for admissions or Ut-provided scholarships, according to a Q&A on UT’S website. The change extends the policy for undergraduates through fall 2023.

UT uses a holistic application process, meaning no single factor determines acceptance. And those who don’t submit scores can rely on those other metrics.

“Students should provide information in their application that demonstrates their academic potential,” the Q&A reads. “This can be accomplished in a number of ways, such as through their essay prompt, high school transcripts, or items like letters of recommendations or standardized ACT or SAT scores.”

Ut-austin first suspended its requirement in fall 2021 because of SAT and ACT testing limitations during the pandemic. Other schools did the same, and some took the opportunity to rethink the policy entirely.

Last fall, St. Mary’s University in San Antonio became the first in Texas and one of about 20 institutions in the country to make the test-free option permanent, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

Sam Houston State University also is doing away with testing requirements for general admissions.

Others have simply extended their policies through at least fall 2022, including Texas A&M University and Rice University.

The University of Houston has not announced whether it will continue being test-optional beyond fall 2022.

Also in Houston, two historically Black universities kept their requirements. Prairie View A&M requires SAT or ACT scores, and Texas Southern University asks for them for applicants with a 2.5 GPA or below.

University of St. Thomas began offering test-optional admissions before the pandemic, announcing certain qualifications that negated the need for standardized test scores.