In recent years, the University of Wisconsin System has changed its approach to college applications and admissions. Some colleges have dropped the requirement for test scores, such as the ACT and SAT. Whether or not this will increase the application pool is unknown. Currently, however, fewer students are applying to colleges in general. This has resulted in the closure of UW Platteville’s Richland campus.
According to Sam Pierce, Associate Director of Admissions at UW LaCrosse, UW Madison and UWLaCrosse are both test-optional colleges until spring 2025, when they will reevaluate their testing policies. ACT and SAT test scores became optional due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the UW Board of Regents is undecided whether the tests will become mandatory again. Both UW Madison and UW LaCrosse require the submission of two student essays. Other UW colleges are also test optional and only require one student essay for application.
“The application process has become a little easier overall,” Stoughton High School Counselor Ann Ash said. “The changes in regards to testing have given students who are not strong test takers access to some colleges they previously would not be admissible to.”
Historically, colleges looked at test scores to help decide whether or not they would accept an applicant. The higher the score, the higher the chance that a student would be accepted into that college. Without colleges considering test scores, a student who may not have scored well on the ACT or SAT might have a better chance of getting into certain colleges.
“Test scores are standardized, so they are one way to compare students universally,” Ash said. Ash explains that different high schools throughout the state have different curriculums and offer different classes.
With different curriculums and classes, graduates head into college with different knowledge and skill sets. Test scores such as those from the ACT and SAT give a better comparison between students than transcripts alone.
In regards to application fees, the removal of fees may also be beneficial for applicants. Some think without an application fee, the college in question will become more accessible to students. While some UW schools have dropped the application fee, UW Madison, UW Eau Claire, and UW LaCrosse still have an application fee.
As colleges change their application procedures, students experience both benefits and drawbacks. Only the future will tell us whether or not the changes will be beneficial in the long term.