ODESSA, Texas — A once critical part of the admissions process has now been optional for the last couple of years: submitting SAT and ACT scores.
Many universities across the state waived the requirement to submit those scores due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Students were unable to take SAT or ACTs, and so to accommodate for that, we decided that SAT and ACT scores were going to be optional," said Susie Thiessen, Assistant Admissions Director at UTPB. "A lot of institutions were also going this way with fall 2020 admissions just because all these exams got canceled."
It's possible that some schools could make that decision permanent, including UTPB. However, for now at UTPB, this only runs through the 2023 spring semester.
However, Thiessen sees these tests as a barrier for a lot of students when it comes to applying to UTPB.
"I would fight very hard for us to maintain this test optional," Thiessen said. "It has opened up so many doors to so many students who saw the SAT or ACT as a barrier because some students don’t get preparation time to study for it. Some students don’t even realize what is going on when they go into the exam. Their teacher just told them that they need to take it for college."
So if UTPB doesn't take those test scores into account, what do they look at for admissions?
"We look at other things too like if they’re taking any dual-credit classes, honors, pre-AP, AP courses, if they’re in any upper level, if they’re doing any sort of organization within their schools," Thiessen said. "So we look at everything that the student can provide us."
However, students can still submit SAT or ACT scores, but they will only be considered if they benefit the student applying.
"We'll use the exams if it helps the student," Thiessen said. "If the score is really low and it potentially doesn’t quite align with the students high GPA or things like that, then we won’t even look at it. We won’t even consider it."