Harvard University will not require SAT or ACT test scores for admission for the duration of the next four years, according to Fox News.
- “Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its continued impact on access to testing for high school age students, Harvard College will allow students to apply for admission without requiring SAT or ACT scores for the upcoming admitted classes of ’27, ’28, ’29, and ’30,” the announcement said.
Per The New York Times, this decision adds fuel to the movement to permanently get rid of standardized testing requirements in admission processes. Harvard believes that standardized test scores are only one piece of the application.
- “Consistent with Harvard’s whole-person admissions process, standardized tests are one factor among many considered. Accomplishments in and out of the classroom during the high school years — including extracurricular activities, community involvement, employment, and family responsibilities — are considered as part of the admissions process,” the statement said.
- “Students who do not submit standardized test scores will not be disadvantaged in their application process,” William Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions and financial aid, said in the statement. He encouraged students to submit “whatever materials they believe would convey their accomplishments in secondary school and their promise for the future.”