Georgia public colleges and universities will start requiring standardized test scores for admission starting in Spring 2022, the University System of Georgia announced.
Georgia’s public universities paused SAT and ACT test requirements for all of 2021 due to COVID-19 because the pandemic resulted in several cancelled test dates, USG said in an a news release.
Colleges still considered test scores in admission decisions if a student submitted them.
Private schools that are not subject to decisions made by USG said they will not be requiring standardized test scores throughout 2022.
Advocates for getting rid of test score requirements indefinitely were optimistic that the pandemic would lead to this feat.
Bob Schaeffer, executive director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing said in April:
Schools that waived ACT/SAT score requirements during the pandemic generally saw more applicants, better academically qualified academics, and more diversity of all sorts. Now, most are extending those policies for at least another year.
Schaeffer alleges that students coming from wealthier households have an unfair advantage when it comes to college admissions testing.
SAT or ACT test scores are required at the majority of colleges and universities. The exceptions being Middle Georgia State University, Atlanta Metropolitan State College, College of Coastal Georgia, East Georgia State, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia Highlands College, Gordon State College, South Georgia State College, Georgia Southern University’s Liberty campus and Georgia State University’s Perimeter College.
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Some schools, such as Georgia Highlands College, require placement tests for enrollment. However, the SAT or ACT can serve as a replacement for the placement tests. The placement tests were not required during the coronavirus pandemic.
The minimum test scores for admission to Georgia institutions is typically 920 on the SAT test or 17 on the ACT. Some schools with more selective admissions policies require higher scores for enrollment.
The average ACT score for a Georgia student is 21.4 and the average SAT score is around 1050.
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