UIS to remain test-optional for undergraduate applicants through 2023-24

The University of Illinois Springfield will remain test-optional for undergraduate applicants through 2023-24, meaning SAT and ACT scores will not be required for admission. 

The University of Illinois Board of Trustee's Executive Committee approved the extension during a meeting on April 1, 2021. 

The decision was made in response to continued pandemic-driven restrictions on large gatherings in many places around the country that limit students’ ability to take the SAT and ACT tests. 

The decision extends a policy allowing test-optional admissions at UIS for the 2021-22 academic year. Many other universities in the United States have already extended test-optional policies, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“This decision by the Executive Committee will allow those considering a U of I System university to apply without worrying about the availability of a standardized test,” U of I System President Tim Killeen said. “I thank our trustees for continuing to make the safety of our prospective students and fairness in our admissions processes top priorities.” 

The Executive Committee meets when action is required before a regular board meeting and acts with the authority of the full board. The action, which occurred during a virtual meeting, will be reported to the full board at its next regularly scheduled meeting, on May 20. The committee currently consists of board Chairman Don Edwards and Trustees Patricia Brown Holmes and Ramón Cepeda.