Essays Are More Important as Testing Requirements Change

The New York Times reported that applicants to highly selective colleges have surged since standardized testing requirements were mostly eliminated this year. Without the testing requirement, students who thought they didn’t have a shot at getting into some elite institutions are trying their luck. Many schools will go back to requiring test scores, but there has been a recent trend among many, including the entire UC system, to become test optional.

Jonathan Burdick, Cornell’s vice provost for enrollment. says in the Times article, “The essay, the résumé and the letters assume a smidgen more importance than they would have in a system in which the test score just sort of sat there like a big object on the review process.” When competition is stiff, consider that smidgen.

Additional Resources

The New York Times. “Interest Surges in Top Colleges, While Struggling Ones Scrape for Applicants.” February 20, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/us/colleges-covid-applicants.html?smid=url-share

University of California. “University of California Board of Regents Unanimously Approved Changed to Standardized Testing Requirement for Undergraduates.” May 21, 2020. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/university-california-board-regents-approves-changes-standardized-testing-requirement