The University of San Diego will allow applicants to have the choice of submitting ACT and SAT scores when applying under its new optional procedure, the university announced.
Joining other universities that have also adopted the new optional procedure, USD will allow first-year applicants of the entering class of 2021 to choose whether or not to submit their standardized test scores.
“The optional-testing decision comes after a university committee studied the impact that standardized testing has on admissions decisions, and whether the standardized tests added value to those decisions,” the university said in a statement.
USD said the committee determined that standardized tests do not don’t measure a wide variety of skills necessary for college success. It also said that the optional-testing decision was not based on the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, it will consider other components of a student’s background like their high school transcript, accomplishments, letters of recommendation, personal statement, essay and activities.
