Texas University Reinstates Standardized Testing Requirements

Last Updated on March 14, 2024 by Robert C. Hoopes

The University of Texas at Austin recently announced that it will be reinstating the standardized testing requirement for undergraduate admissions. This decision comes after the university suspended ACT/SAT score requirements in Spring 2020 due to limited testing availability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Jay Hartzell stated that standardized scores, when combined with GPA, help identify students who demonstrate academic achievement and potential. The university believes that standardized tests serve as a proven differentiator among applicants with high GPAs. Data released from UT shows that students who submitted standardized test scores tend to perform better in college and have higher graduation rates.

UT Austin is not the only university to reinstate standardized test requirements. Brown University, MIT, and Georgetown University are among the schools that also dropped the requirement during the pandemic and later reinstated it. Dartmouth College recently became the first Ivy League institution to reinstate the standardized testing requirement for the next application cycle.

With over 50,000 students, UT Austin is based in Austin, Texas, and is known for its rigorous academic programs. The reinstatement of standardized testing requirements is expected to help the university identify the most qualified applicants for its undergraduate programs. President Hartzell emphasized the importance of using multiple measures, including standardized test scores, to evaluate applicants and ensure that the university admits students who will succeed academically.