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The University of Texas Austin (UT Austin), one of the foremost public research universities in the United States, announced in an article this week a change in its college application requirements. For four years, UT Austin has had a test-optional college application process, where applicants were not required to submit their standardized test scores with their application. Now, they are reverting from this COVID-era policy and will ask students to submit their test scores again starting in Fall 2025.

This change comes as many other schools are following a similar trend. Yale and Dartmouth University have announced similar changes; Yale announced this change on their website, and Dartmouth announced their updates a few weeks prior. 

UT Austin's New Requirements

With the reinstatement of UT Austin's standardized testing scores for its applications, the application requirements, as stated on their website, now are:

• Application
• Application fee ($75) or Waiver Request
• Essays and Short Answers
• SAT/ ACT Scores (SAT Essay and ACT Writing scores not required)
• High School Transcripts, Class Rank, College Transcripts
• High School Prerequisites
• Review Optional and Additional Materials

Why They Are Making this Decision

The introduction of test-optional applications was a reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and its strain on students and faculty. Around Spring 2020, standardized testing became less accessible to students, so this change in the school's application requirements was made so students who no longer had the option to take standardized tests could still apply. 

In the years since, UT Austin analyzed the number of students and how their data correlated to other years, saying in their article, "Last year, the University experienced an all-time high number of applicants — approximately 73,000. It is estimated that about 90% or more of these applicants took a standardized exam… Those who opted in had a median SAT score of 1420, compared with a median of 1160 among those who did not… The higher standardized scores translated on average to better collegiate academic performance."

The trends from their data show that students who submitted their scores had higher scores on average and also had more remarkable academic success in their courses and college careers. President of UT Austin Jay Hartzell stated, "Our goals are to attract the best and brightest students and to make sure every student is successful once they are here. Standardized scores combined with high school GPA support this goal by improving early identification of students who demonstrated the greatest academic achievement, the most potential, and those who can most benefit from support through our student success programs." 

Other Schools Are Following Suit

These changes have come in conjunction with other schools implementing similar alterations to their college admissions policies. The adoption of test-optional applications by schools like Yale and Dartmouth was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But now, as the effect of COVID lessens year over year and the data from pre- and post-COVID applications come in, more and more schools are likely to revert any test-optional policies they may have adopted. 

Yale's reasoning for this change back was that test-optional didn't accomplish what it was meant to do—instead disadvantaging qualified applicants more than helping them. In their announcement on test-optional policies, Dartmouth stated that test scores combined with high school grades were the most reliable indicators for success in their school. The data provided by UT Austin also indicates that standardized testing is a practical tool for anticipating students' success. To learn more about Dartmouth and Yale's changes to their application policy, read our recent blog, Yale Returning to Standardized Testing: What You Need to Know.

The Future Landscape of College Admissions

With many top schools slowly beginning to revert their COVID-era policies, students should expect more American colleges to do the same and return to their standard applications in the coming years. 

Zak Harris, a Former Admissions Officer with InGenius Prep, said, "It doesn't change anything that we've been advising students on. We've always said that taking the SAT or ACT is important, and scoring as high as possible will be an advantage in this process. If anything, it further emphasizes this advice because we don't know how many other schools will revert back…" Zak expressed disappointment that some schools are reverting from test-optional but went on to say, "I think it's important to also highlight that for every MIT, Yale, and Georgetown, there are the CSUs, UCs, Wesleyans, Bowdoins, Cornells, and Columbias that will maintain test optional (or test blind) admissions in perpetuity. My only point is that the SAT/ACT is not nearly as important as families think, and it won't help a student stand out in the process. Doesn't mean we should ignore it, but our focus on interest exploration and a clearly defined application persona are still paramount to this process."

Despite the changing landscape, we at InGenius Prep recommend our students pursue the highest test scores for college admissions. However, test scores alone should not be the only focus students have. Due to schools' holistic review, the best applications have many aspects that all work in concert with each other—from test scores to personal essays to academics and extracurriculars. Crafting a solid application persona throughout a student's time in high school will be a massive factor in determining their success in college applications. 

For students seeking expert guidance on the college admissions process, InGenius Prep offers our Application Counseling Program, where our team of counselors and Former Admissions Officers will help you create the best college application possible and bolster your chances at admission into your dream school! Put your best foot forward and make an excellent impression on your college; schedule a free call with one of our counselors to learn more!