Ohio State announced Monday that applicants to the Columbus campus for the 2021-22 academic year will have the option to not submit ACT or SAT scores.| Credit: Lantern file photo
Ohio State’s next round of applicants will have one less item to submit in the application process: their ACT or SAT scores.
The university announced in a Monday press release that submitting the college entrance exams scores will be optional for most high school and transfer students applying to Columbus campus for the 2021-22 academic year due to testing challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This one-year accommodation underscores Ohio State’s commitment to reducing barriers for students who plan to apply for admission to Ohio State for the 2021 application year,” the release states.
Due to COVID-19, the April ACT was postponed for a future test date, according to the ACT website. The ACT was administered in person in June across 45 states adhering to physical distancing guidelines. Some testing centers were not open.
The SAT decided to delay an at-home test, and starting in August, will provide a test for every month of 2020, according to the SAT website. The in-person SAT tests will have limited seating to promote physical distancing.
Although students are encouraged to submit test scores, the testing waiver includes applicants applying for scholarships, direct enrollment into colleges, admission into the Honors and Scholars Program and the Morrill Scholarship Program, according to the release.
According to the release, some applicants to the Columbus campus will be required to submit test scores, including home-schooled students, students from non-chartered high schools or those whose schools use narrative or mastery evaluations as opposed to a GPA grading scale.
Applicants to Ohio State’s five regional campuses will not see any changes since those applications do not require standardized test scores unless home-schooled, coming from a non-chartered high school or their high school used non-traditional evaluations, according to the release.
Applications for the 2021-22 academic cycle open Aug. 1.
