The UCs and many other colleges have gone test-optional for the coming admission cycle. Will the ACT and SAT matter for the class of 2021?
The short answer is yes. Likely more than ever before.
Before we get to why this is so, let’s cover the basics of what has happened so far—
In response to the cancellation of the March, April, and May standardized exams, many selective colleges, UCs included, have switched to test-optional for the class of 2021.
We view this as a positive development because many low-income students will have restricted access to standardized exams this year in particular due to COVID-19.
So why will ACT and SAT scores play a more important role in admission to selective colleges than ever before?
Follow my logic…
Admissions officers from selective colleges around the country tell us that the top two factors in determining admission to a selective college are GPA and a standardized test score (ACT or SAT).
But the GPAs of students from the class of 2021 will be compromised.
Many schools have switched to pass/fail for the second semester of this school year. Class of 2021 students will be missing the single most important semester of grades in high school — 2nd semester of Junior year. With less reliable information on GPA, a greater focus will shift to standardized test scores.
So while fewer students will apply to UCs with standardized test scores this coming year, those who earn strong ACT and SAT scores will enjoy an even more significant advantage than they otherwise would have in a normal undisturbed admissions cycle.
These students will also enjoy substantial advantages when it comes to scholarships — especially those who have both strong GPAs and strong ACT or SAT scores.
Let’s drill into the UCs a little more deeply. I suspect that students with strong ACT or SAT scores in the class of 2021 will enjoy a particularly strong advantage when applying to the UC system. The recent UC report on the use of ACT and SAT in the admissions process states:
“At UC, test scores are currently better predictors of first-year GPA than high school grade point average.”
It stands to reason that if test scores are better predictors of grades at UCs than high school grades are, then UCs are even more likely to increase their reliance on test scores given the compromised nature of GPAs for the classes of 2021 and 2022.
The report goes on to explain that high school GPA is becoming a less-reliable predictor of academic success in college due to grade inflation:
“(We) found that California high schools vary greatly in grading standards, and that grade inflation is part of why the predictive power of high school GPA has decreased since the last UC study (in 2001).”
So again, if the predictive power of high school grades is decreasing due to grade inflation, the UCs (especially the most selective UCs) are very likely to place more emphasis on ACT and SAT scores in the coming admissions cycle.
In summary, fewer students will apply to UCs and other test-optional colleges with standardized test scores this coming year. However, those who earn strong ACT and SAT scores will enjoy an even more significant advantage than they otherwise would have. Students with strong GPAs plus strong test scores to match will enjoy more choices among selective colleges (and scholarship opportunities) than in any admission cycle in memory.