University of Tennessee System Reinstates Test Scores Requirement For Admissions
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The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
The University of Tennessee system will reinstate its requirement that prospective students submit standardized test scores as a part of the admissions process. This will go into effect for applicants of all UT campuses beginning with the fall 2023 semester.
The requirement was waived when many testing centers were forced to close during the pandemic, making it difficult for some students to register for the tests. Applications were accepted with a “test-optional” status, meaning students were allowed to submit scores if they were able to test, but it was not mandatory that they do so.
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University officials have now made the decision to reinstate the policy as it was prior to the pandemic, requiring students to submit scores from the ACT, SAT, or both. The decision was made in a May 6 meeting of the UT Board of Trustee’s Executive Committee.
The policy update will not apply to students for the 2022-2023 admissions cycle.
UT System President Randy Boyd made the following statement at the executive committee meeting:
“The Chancellors and I and our colleagues in the system, and campuses, are extremely thankful for the very thorough engagement we have had with the board regarding the test optional exception we made to our admissions practices for the last two years to accommodate our students during the COVID pandemic which made testing less available. Based on our review and the thoughtful conversations at our recent board meetings, the campuses do not intend to bring forward any proposed revisions to the university’s admissions policies.”
The state of Tennessee currently requires all students in the eleventh grade to take the ACT and provides funding for that testing. They also provide a free retake option for students.
Campus admissions administrators considered the possibility of making the application process “test-optional” permanently, and some argued that high school GPA was actually a better indicator of how successful students will be in college.
The discussion will continue at the annual meeting of the UT Board of Trustees in June.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
