Ohio State University says it's making the SAT and ACT test scores optional for most students applying at the Columbus campus for 2021. The temporary move comes after testing dates were canceled for the spring, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The university says the one-year accommodation will help reduce barriers for current high school and transfer students who want to apply at Ohio State's main campus.
"All applicants are encouraged to take the ACT or SAT if possible and submit test scores if they are available, as Ohio State believes that standardized test scores provide useful information about a student’s success as a Buckeye," the school said in a press release.
Some applicants will still be required to submit test scores, including home schooled students and those who attended a school with non-traditional evaluations.
Applicants to Ohio State's five branch campuses are already not required to submit standardized test scores.
Ohio State joins a growing list of schools putting less reliance on the SAT and ACT during the pandemic. Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland was among the earliest schools to scrape the tests for fall admissions. The University of California system recently announced plans to phase out their use of the tests permanently.
Ohio State applications for the 2021 admissions cycle opens August 1.
