The governor on Wednesday signed a new law that temporarily gives Colorado public universities and colleges the option of taking national assessment test scores into consideration when assessing students through the admissions process.
On June 15, the Colorado General Assembly passed , which allows the state’s higher education institutions to determine whether to require national assessment test scores as an admissions eligibility criterion for first-time, first-year students who graduate from high school in 2021.
With Gov. Jared Polis’s , CU Boulder will make SAT and ACT assessment tests optional for the 2021 admissions cycle. The decision is in response to standardized testing cancellations amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19.Ěý
Executive Director of Admissions Clark Brigger said the new law, though temporary, would “help the university increase access to the benefits of higher education for all students.”
“Reducing barriers to the college admissions process creates more equity and helps us fulfill our responsibility as the state’s flagship public research university to educate Colorado students of all financial means and backgrounds,” Brigger said.
Currently, CU Boulder’s holistic admissions process takes multiple factors into consideration when assessing whether to admit first-time students, including grade point average, courses and academic rigor in high school, class rank, standardized test scores, recommendations and essays.
