The University of Chicago announced June 14 that it will no longer require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores, but don’t expect UF to follow suit anytime soon.
Chandra Mitchell, UF’s interim director of freshman and international admissions, said the Florida Board of Governors sets minimum freshman admission requirements for the State University System of Florida.
One of the board’s requirements is that freshman applicants submit a score from the ACT, SAT or both.
She said, to her knowledge, the board has not discussed overturning the test score requirement.
She is pleased with UF’s “holistic review process,” which considers an applicant’s GPA, test scores, admission essay and extracurricular activities when making a decision. She said she doesn’t envision UF straying from that process.
“It allows us to look at the total student,” she said. “It doesn’t just base our decision on tests and grades. So, we’re looking for a well-rounded student who’s strong academically as well as excels outside of the classroom.”
UF telecommunication senior Tyler Williams said he agrees with the holistic review process. He thinks no single factor should dominate the admissions decision.
“People should heavily consider GPA and extracurricular activities and the essay they submit,” he said. “You run the risk of dehumanizing the applicants, and that is not a fair representation of the students that you would be accepting into your college.”
He said he thinks colleges should require test scores because they provide an objective measure of a student’s academic ability.
“I feel like that really helps put people on equal playing fields,” he said. “Some people’s high school experiences and what they learned in high school and the classes that were available to them are wildly different, and the GPAs they have can be inflated or deflated because of that.”
However, Williams, who took both the ACT and SAT as a student at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, said that requiring test scores can be unfair to students who simply don’t test well.
Another concern is the cost. The ACT with the writing section costs $62.50, while the SAT with writing costs $64.50.
“I don’t think that it’s ethical to be charging a large sum of money,” Williams said. “ Especially when it is expected for them to take it multiple times.”
Mitchell said low-income students who meet certain criteria can fill out waivers to take the tests for free.
However, not all low-income families qualify for waivers, and the waivers do not pay for most books and other study materials needed to prepare for the tests.
Ultimately, each university acts independently to decide which admission criteria to set as a standard for its student body.
“Every institution has their own policies,” Mitchell said.
