Alfred State College removes SAT/ACT requirement for applicants through spring 2022

Alfred State College (ASC) announces today that it will not require an SAT or ACT score from prospective students applying for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years.

This decision comes after the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees announced it is suspending the testing requirements at its colleges and universities for prospective students. While SUNY’s temporary waiver only applies for the spring 2021, fall 2021, and spring 2022 semesters, Alfred State is waiving standardized testing requirements beginning this fall and continuing through the spring of 2022.

Alfred State Vice President for Enrollment Management Betsy Penrose said, “With limited testing options available in 2020, Alfred State is pleased to join SUNY in waiving the standardized testing requirements through spring 2022. We understand that, due to the pandemic, many students were unable to take the SAT and ACT exams. Alfred State conducts a holistic review of applicants and considers many variables, not just test scores, upon admission. Now, students may be admitted to bachelor’s degrees without those standardized scores and admission will lean more heavily on other factors such as high school grades and co-curricular involvement.”

Traditionally, standardized test scores were not required for admission into associate degree programs at Alfred State, meaning the waiver will impact students applying for bachelor’s degree programs.

“We are fortunate to have a myriad of educational opportunities for students at the associate and bachelor’s degree levels,” Penrose said. “Associate degree students have never been required to submit standardized test scores and these students perform well at Alfred State. Now, our bachelor’s degree applicants will have the opportunity to be considered without SAT or ACT scores.”

Alfred State will continue to evaluate each application individually using a holistic review to make the best decision for both the applicant and the college. A variety of factors are considered, such as individual program requirements, letters of recommendation, strength of academic program, and extracurricular activities.