A temporary change in California State University admissions guidelines is not expected to affect the flow of students coming into Sac State. (Sacramento State/Jessica Vernone)
By Dixie Reid
Temporary changes to admissions standards for California State University ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom should have little impact on students applying for Sacramento State, according to the director of Admissions and Outreach.
Newsom on Thursday, April 16, signed an executive order that temporarily suspends use of standardized ACT and SAT exams to determine admission eligibility at all 23 campuses for the 2021-22 academic year.
The order comes in light of those tests, usually conducted in person on high school and college campuses, being cancelled to comply with social-distancing restrictions put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is uncertain when testing will resume.
“Students who have a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) on their required high school course work are eligible for admission to Sac State regardless of their standardized test scores, and that is the majority of our students,” said director Brian Henley. “Many are well above 3.0 coming out of high school.”
Standardized tests are used to help assess the likelihood of students’ success in college. However, Henley said, the rigor of students’ high school curriculum and the grades they earn in those courses are the best predictors of how well they’ll do in college.
“We are pleased that the CSU is providing this relief to students who plan to apply for admission for Fall 2021,” Henley said. “We know that in this time of uncertainty, not requiring the SAT or ACT for admission will remove some of the stress related to the college admission process for both students and their families.”
The suspension of standardized testing will have no effect on students who apply to impacted majors at Sac State, which include Biological Sciences, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Nursing, and Health Sciences.
Sac State admits students to its impacted programs based on prerequisite courses completed at the University or, for transfer students, completed at other institutions. First-year students are admitted based on established University admission requirements, and they may apply to an impacted major when admission requirements for that major are satisfied.
“We are confident that we can ensure that the students we admit on the basis of high school curriculum and GPA will be prepared to be successful at Sacramento State,” Henley said.
CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White, said the move helps keep the system and its students on track during the coronavirus crisis.
“The California State University has provided access to a high-quality education for millions of Californians from all walks of life, and we will continue to fulfill our academic mission even during these most trying of times,” White said in a statement released Friday, April 17.
“This temporary change will ensure equitable access to the university, and should provide some measure of relief to prospective students and their families.”