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Princeton, Northwestern Suspend Standardized Testing Mandates

Princeton Becomes Last Ivy to Temporarily Drop Testing Mandate

Princeton University and Northwestern University temporarily suspended their standardized testing requirements for high school students applying to start in 2021, joining other U.S. colleges reworking the admission process because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Princeton became the last of the eight Ivy League schools to temporarily drop the mandate, citing challenges presented by Covid-19 and the lack of access to the ACT and SAT as reasons to make testing optional for one year.

The university considered “the many hurdles students -- especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and underrepresented communities” will have to overcome in the months ahead, Princeton said in a statement Thursday. Northwestern, in its own statement, cited “pandemic-related obstacles to taking standardized tests” in making the SAT or ACT optional for a year.

More than 200 colleges -- including Stanford and Duke universities on Wednesday -- have shelved the SAT and ACT requirement, some for as long as three years, as the spread of the virus has forced test centers to close.

The College Board, which administers the SAT, said this month it had abandoned plans to offer an at-home test because it requires three hours of high quality internet access, which can’t be guaranteed for all students.

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