College Admissions 2020-21: Changes in Light of COVID-19 for the Top 50

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College Admissions 2020-21: Changes in Light of COVID-19 for the Top 50

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a huge role in students’ lives over the past six months. Tests were canceled, classes were moved online, and life in general was disrupted in various ways. To accommodate students’ needs, many top universities have changed their expectations for college admissions 2020-21.

As you are probably already aware, almost all of the top schools have switched to test optional policies for the upcoming college admissions 2020-21 cycle, with a few even trying out 3-year pilot programs. Aside from changes in testing, universities have changed deadlines, updated their application platforms, and adjusted academic and extracurricular expectations of candidates. The changes implemented by the top 50 universities are outlined in the table below.

Changes in College Admissions 2020-21 for the Top 50 National Universities

School Admissions Changes for 2020-2021 Cycle
Princeton University No Restricted Early Action option for this year; one application deadline of Jan. 1, 2021 for the freshman admission cycle
Test; optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Harvard University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Columbia University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
New questions added to MyMIT activities, academics, and additional information sections for students to provide further context on how they have been impacted by COVID-19
Yale University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
SAT Subject Tests will not be considered at all
Stanford University All interviews worldwide will be conducted via video chat;
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
University of Chicago UChicago was previously test optional and will continue to be test optional
University of Pennsylvania Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
California Institute of Technology Test scores will not be considered at all for the next 2020-21 and 2021-22 application cycles
Johns Hopkins University Early Decision II option added for the 2020-2021 cycle; applications due January 4;
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Northwestern University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
If you anticipate challenges submitting items to complete your application, Northwestern has asked that you contact the admissions office so that they can work with you to gather the necessary documents
Duke University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Dartmouth College Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Brown University Instead of the usual alumni interviews, Brown has instead asked candidates to submit a 2-minute video portfolio;
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Vanderbilt University

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

Rice University Rice will accept the Duolingo English Test alongside TOEFL for international students;
If a school has limited means of sending students’ materials, they should contact the Office of Admission at [email protected] for guidance on how to submit required materials on students’ behalf;
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Washington University in St. Louis

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

Cornell University Early Decision deadline extended to November 16 (previously November 1);
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and School of Hotel Administration will be test blind;
College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Human Ecology, School of Industrial and Labor Relations will consider test scores they receive
University of Notre Dame

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

University of California — Los Angeles The UCs have suspended letter grade requirements for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students;
The UCs are test optional for 2020-2021 cycle. The court has declared that the University of California system can no longer use ACT and SAT tests as a factor for admissions decisions starting the Fall 2023 admissions cycle;
Starting in summer 2020 and ending by January 2021, UC will start a process to create a new test.
The UC application portal has shortened the required character limit for describing activities, honors, and work experience.
Emory University

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

University of California — Berkeley The UCs have suspended letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students;
The UCs are test optional for 2020-2021 cycle. The court has declared that the University of California system can no longer use ACT and SAT tests as a factor for admissions decisions starting the Fall 2023 admissions cycle;
Starting in summer 2020 and ending by January 2021, UC will start a process to create a new test;
The UC application portal has shortened the required character limit for describing activities, honors, and work experience
Georgetown University Georgetown will continue to require submission of either the SAT or ACT for all first-year applicants;
Submission of three SAT Subject Tests is recommended but not required.
University of Michigan — Ann Arbor Early Action deadline has been moved to November 15 (previously November 1);
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
University of Southern California Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
USC still requires English Language Proficiency test results from students whose native language is not English. Applicants must submit test results from the TOEFL (or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition), IELTS (or IELTS Indicator), Duolingo English Test, or PTE Academic English proficiency examinations.
Carnegie Mellon University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
SAT Subject Test scores will not be considered
All auditions, interviews, and portfolio reviews for the College of Fine Arts will be online for the 2021 admission year
University of Virginia Early Decision deadline has been moved to November 1 (previously October 15);
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

Wake Forest University

Wake Forest will continue to be test optional

New York University NYU has switched from test flexible to test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Tufts University New Early Decision 1 deadline — November 17 (previously November 1);
Tufts University is introducing a test-optional admissions policy for all undergraduate applicants for a 3-year period starting with the 2020-2021 cycle
University of California — Santa Barbara The UCs have suspended letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students;
The UCs are test optional for 2020-2021 cycle. The court has declared that the University of California system can no longer use ACT and SAT tests as a factor for admissions decisions starting the Fall 2023 admissions cycle;
Starting in summer 2020 and ending by January 2021, UC will start a process to create a new test;
The UC application portal has shortened the required character limit for describing activities, honors, and work experience
University of Florida

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

University of Rochester

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

Boston College Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
Though students aren’t allowed to visit campus, BC still evaluates demonstrated interest. The school encourages all prospective students to participate in virtual programs including live information sessions, live virtual campus tours, one-on-one conversations with students, and more.
Georgia Institute of Technology New application deadlines:
Early Action 1 (for in-state) deadline: October 15;
Early Action 2 (for out-of-state) deadline: November 2;
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
University of California — Irvine The UCs have suspended letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students;
The UCs are test optional for 2020-2021 cycle. The court has declared that the University of California system can no longer use ACT and SAT tests as a factor for admissions decisions starting the Fall 2023 admissions cycle;
Starting in summer 2020 and ending by January 2021, UC will start a process to create a new test;
The UC application portal has shortened the required character limit for describing activities, honors, and work experience
University of California — San Diego The UCs have suspended letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students;
The UCs are test optional for 2020-2021 cycle. The court has declared that the University of California system can no longer use ACT and SAT tests as a factor for admissions decisions starting the Fall 2023 admissions cycle;
Starting in summer 2020 and ending by January 2021, UC will start a process to create a new test;
The UC application portal has shortened the required character limit for describing activities, honors, and work experience
University of California — Davis The UCs have suspended letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students;
The UCs are test optional for 2020-2021 cycle. The court has declared that the University of California system can no longer use ACT and SAT tests as a factor for admissions decisions starting the Fall 2023 admissions cycle;
Starting in summer 2020 and ending by January 2021, UC will start a process to create a new test;
The UC application portal has shortened the required character limit for describing activities, honors, and work experience
William & Mary William & Mary is introducing a test-optional admissions policy for all undergraduate applicants for a 3-year period starting with the 2020-2021 cycle
Tulane University

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

Boston University

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

Brandeis University Brandeis has implemented a permanent test optional policy starting the 2020-2021 cycle;
English Proficiency exam scores are not included in this policy. Students who are required to submit the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test will need to submit official scores upon submission of their application.
Case Western Reserve University

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

University of Texas — Austin

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

University of Wisconsin — Madison

Test optional until Spring 2023

University of Georgia

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

University of Illinois — Urbana Champaign Early Action deadline has been pushed back to November 15;
Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Lehigh University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
If a school has utilized alternative grading methods during the pandemic, Lehigh will honor those methods in the same manner as the school’s traditional grading scale
Northeastern University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle
Pepperdine University Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle;
If your grades were negatively impacted due to COVID-19, Pepperdine encourages you to share as much information as you feel comfortable in your application.
University of Miami

Test optional for the 2020-2021 cycle

When it comes to college admissions 2020-21, remember that schools understand that you’ve gone through a lot. All colleges have therefore stated that they will continue to evaluate applications holistically and will take pass/fail classes into account. For example, Northeastern states, “Northeastern respects each school district’s pedagogy and will be thoughtful about the impact of Spring 2020 as we work with students entering as first-years and as we evaluate students for admission in the coming years.” Meanwhile Yale says, “We hope to reassure all future college applicants that your community’s response to the outbreak—and your personal circumstances associated with it—will not negatively affect your chances of admission to Yale.” All schools have also arranged for virtual touring and information sessions that are available on the schools’ individual websites. 

Other Considerations

On a similar note, colleges will also be understanding of the fact that students’ extracurricular activities were disrupted. Even if your activities may have stopped operating in person, it’s crucial to show how you continued pursuing your interests remotely regardless of the circumstances.

Schools are also taking into account current events as they consider college admissions 2020-21. Many colleges, including NYU and Carnegie Mellon, have also clarified that if a student was disciplined by their high school or local authorities for participating in peaceful protests over the summer or fall, their application decision would not be negatively impacted.

While it has been a confusing time to apply to college, thanks to many of the changes made in college admissions 2020-21, students have options to be more flexible when it comes to policies in grading, extracurriculars, and test scores. However, this is not an excuse to slack off; you must still try to the best of your ability. Make sure you pay attention to the early action and early decision deadlines, as well as regular deadlines, and submit your materials on time.. You should also take advantage of the Common App COVID-19 question if your year was drastically affected by the pandemic. Colleges will do their best to understand. Good luck!

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