University Of Chicago To Drop Testing Requirement For New Applicants
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The prestigious University of Chicago is eliminating the requirement to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of the application process, becoming the first top-10 research university to do so.
Some liberal arts colleges already have dropped SAT and ACT testing requirements, but the University of Chicago would be the first major research university to make those exams optional.
Beginning with the class of 2023, the private university in the Hyde Park neighborhood also will allow applicants to submit a two-minute video introduction rather than requiring a face-to-face interview. Applicants also would be allowed to provide their own school transcripts to eliminate fees.
The university also will provide full tuition aid for families earning less than $125,000 a year; $20,000 annual scholarships and paid summer internships for applicants who are first-generation college students; and added funding for veterans and children of veterans, police officers, and firefighters. The university already covers all education costs for veterans and their children who participate in the Yellow Ribbon program.
University officials said the moves are designed to level the playing field for lower-income families and first-generation students.
The school also will offer new mentoring programs for first-generation and low-income students.
"The UChicago Empower Initiative continues the University and College's unwavering commitment to access and inclusion," said John W. Boyer, dean of the College of the University of Chicago.
For more information on the university's new admissions initiatives, click here.