ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Purdue University announced it will once again require applicants to send in their SAT or ACT scores as part of the college application beginning again in the fall of 2024.  

According to Purdue, the announcement comes now so that current high school juniors can register and schedule their exams and submit the test results with their applications.  Purdue has had a “test flexible” policy since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and recommended students submit it – without requiring it.  

MORE NEWS: MSU Encampment Group Demands Divestment, Acquires Permits to Stay Through Sunday

“The evidence is clear that test scores provide essential information in a comprehensive admissions evaluation that enables us to ensure the optimal chance of success for each admitted student,”  Purdue Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Kris Wong Davis said. 

There are more than 1,800 four year colleges that have determined the tests are optional or are test free for this year alone – 39 of these are in Michigan alone. 

For the 2022-23 school year, the University of Michigan chose not to require the ACT and SAT for students but allowed for other scores to be submitted and considered in their application. 

“You and your high school experience have been impacted by COVID-19 in unprecedented ways. We understand that in this environment, we all need to make adjustments. However, it remains true that the more we know about your academic pursuits, interests, and capabilities, and personal commitments, challenges, and how you navigate your life, the better we can help you in our admissions process,” the admissions page said. 

Michigan State University has taken a very different approach to Purdue, and will not require ACT and SAT scores for the next five years.  According to MLIVE, the test-optional application process is specifically for incoming freshmen, and transfer and international students are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores, though they do have the option to include their scores with their application.  

MORE NEWS: Here Come the Swears: The NFL Draft in Detroit is a ‘BFD’ for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Ivy League Schools Stanford, Northwestern, and Boston University have announced that they will remain test optional through the high school class of 2024, and Columbia and Cornell Universities will remain test optional for applicants entering through fall of 2024.  

Some schools like Harvard, experienced a record low acceptance rate, as many students decided to apply to schools that had dropped the standardized test score requirement, making some schools more competitive for admissions.