The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted colleges and universities all across the nations. Most schools have shut down their campuses and switched to virtual learning. While a majority of Americans are hoping the virus will quickly subside, this year’s batch of high school juniors may not be as inclined to pack up their face masks. In recent weeks, a large sum of colleges have broken with tradition and made the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and American College Testing (ACT) optional for college admission for the class of 2021.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak the SAT has cancelled its April and May examinations. The ACT, however, has pushed back those tests to the month of June. As a result, more than a dozen colleges have made these standardized tests optional for this year’s class of juniors. Some universities have taken it a step farther and are using this year’s circumstances as a pilot for following classes’ application requirements, including Tuft university who has announced a three-year experiment with the decision to make these tests optional. However, University of Oregon and Oregon State have permanently ended their requirement for SAT and ACT scores for the foreseeable future. The recent relaxing of admissions requirements has raised the question whether or not this is fair for previous college applicants.

“Honestly, the SAT/ACT does not properly measure a level of academic success, however, creating an opt out does not bode well for underclassmen,” senior Phap Haong said. “They should be required to take it to be prepared and ready. Without the similar pressure many students will take advantage and not put themselves in a position to excel. With kids struggling to get into higher level institutions, lowering the intensity is not beneficial. Keeping the required tests will allow kids to study, take time to prepare and be in a position to do well.”

Although many are disappointed with the turn the academic world has made, some juniors are taking a sigh of relief. With the SAT and ACT test dates being cancelled and schools making these infamous tests optional, it gives the 2021 class time to prepare for when the pandemic ends.  This change also gives the more anxious test takers a quiet reprieve from worrying about their future.

“In all honesty I think that SAT/ACT testing is not the best fit for everybody,” junior Sophia Ordonez said. “Standardized testing often causes a lot of anxiety and built-up pressure that people tend to work themselves up and under perform on a test that holds a lot of power in college administration. This option gives students a break from worrying about something they couldn’t control.”