PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Changes could be on the way for the Universities of Wisconsin’s admission standards.
The system is considering permanently eliminating ACT and SAT test score requirements.
On Thursday, the UW Board of Regents Committee recommended to permanently waive the mandate.
“If I’m a parent, if I’m a student, and I say I still want to submit you know, my SAT or ACT scores, they can do so, it’s their choice. We just don’t make it a requirement,” Universities of Wisconsin Academic & Student Affairs Vice President Johannes Britz said.
The ACT and SATs have been an application requirement at the Universities of Wisconsin since the 1980s.
Britz said the test scores will likely be dropped because of a broader trend.
“The vast majority of higher education institutions in the nation they have moved away from standardized test scores, and actually in our own region almost all the universities have moved away,” Britz said.
Eliminating the ACT and SAT test requirements from the Universities of Wisconsin is not a new discussion. The system has actually been waiving the demand since the beginning of the pandemic, but public school districts still encourage students to take it seriously.
“Students can still select to have those tests submitted and considered as part of their application. It’s not held against them. It doesn’t count negatively, but it can only enhance that application,” Ashwaubenon High School Counselor Christina Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick said ACT scores may still be used for program admissions, scholarships, and tech colleges may use it to gauge whether students need entry-level coursework.
Other colleges and universities outside of Wisconsin may also still require an ACT score, but Fitzpatrick said other things like GPA and course load carry a greater weight in the UW system.
“They are looking at the rigor of classes that you are taking. They wanna see students working hard through that senior year of high school, taking those college preparatory courses. So we encourage that,” Fitzpatrick said.
The recommendation still needs to be approved by the UW Board of Regents at a later date.
If the recommendation is approved, the Universities of Wisconsin plans to have it enacted by next school year.
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