Written by: Isabelle Henrich, staff writer
DAYTON, Tenn.– Bryan College waives standardized test scores such as the ACT and SAT beginning Aug. 23 due to Covid-19 and the fact that some students are not great at taking the standardized tests.
While standardized tests are not needed for admission, a student’s score can help them receive scholarships at Bryan. Beginning in Fall 2021, new student’s acceptance will be based on either a standardized test or GPA (grade point average) for admissions at Bryan College.
Dr. Scott Jones, head of the Honors Institute at Bryan, has stated the requirements for new students have changed. The Honors Institute will now consider an applicant on GPA only, at 4.0, or ACT/SAT/CLT at 27/1260/84, or a combination of both, where the student must have a 3.75 GPA or a standardized test score of 25/1200/78.
On Jan. 19, College Board, who oversees the SAT test, announced that SAT Subject Tests and Essays will be discontinued due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although Bryan is moving towards a hybrid of test scores and GPA for admission, some colleges have stopped requiring standardized test scores altogether. And some colleges stopped years ago. These schools include New York University, George Washington University, Montana State University, and the University of Chicago.
Before the pandemic, the University of Chicago reported that 85% of students still submitted their standardized test scores despite them not being required.
Due to many colleges and universities no longer requiring standardized test scores, applications have increased across the U.S. Harvard University’s applications grew 42% with 57,000, University of California at Berkeley had a 28% surge at 112,000, and the University of Virginia had a 15% increase with 48,000 applicants.
Since the ACT and SAT have not been completely eradicated, many schools, like Bryan, still require standardized tests for financial aid although it is technically not essential for admission.
Isabelle Hendrich is a communication major and history minor at Bryan College. Besides running, Hendrich likes to read and do crafts. She is also a triplet whose siblings, Benjamin and Savannah, are also attending Bryan College.