BY: Jayla Brown
ACT and SAT scores have been required for many years in order to apply for college. When schools shut down due to COVID-19, many high school seniors and juniors were unable to take the ACT and SAT. This caused over 1,000 universities to waive the standardized test for admission, including AUM.
AUM temporarily waived the ACT and SAT requirements for both Summer and Fall 2020. Back in April, AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton told Alabama News Network, “By waiving the ACT and SAT test requirements, we will ensure that every student has the opportunity to pursue their academic dreams without any further hardships.”
Incoming freshmen and transfer students are still required to meet the other requirements for admission. You can read more of his statement on AUM’s website or alabamanews.net. It has not been stated yet whether AUM will continue this waiver for the 2021 Spring semester.
The College Board is still looking for ways for students to take the standardized test. There was an idea that students could take the test at home. However, the College Board stopped the plan due to concerns about the disparities in technology access and testing environments. David Coleman, CEO of the College Board PBS, said, “There are more important things than test right now”. He also said, “In making these difficult decisions we focused on reducing the anxiety that students and families are experiencing this year.”
You can find updates and more on www.collegeboard.org. It is now becoming a question of whether waiving the ACT and SAT should be a long-term thing. Many feel that the two tests give an advantage to the rich and a disadvantage to the poor and people of color. This waiver has not been permanently set, but it is clearly giving a new way of thinking to many universities, including Ivy League schools.
Here is a list of four-year universities waiving the ACT and SAT testing requirements in Alabama for the 2021 academic year:
-Alabama State University (Montgomery, AL)
-Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
-Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, AL)
-Samford University (Homewood, AL)
-University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)
-University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, AL)
-University of Montevallo (Montevallo, AL)
-University of North Alabama (Florence, AL)
-University of South Alabama (Mobile, AL)
-University of West Alabama (Livingston, AL)