UT Austin will again require SAT or ACT test scores for admission. Here's why.

The University of Texas is bringing back standardized testing as part of its admissions requirements starting for the 2025 fall semester, citing data that shows knowing students' SAT or ACT test scores helps the school enroll those with the greatest academic potential and learn how to best support students for success.

The university dropped the requirement in the 2020 spring because of limited testing availability due to COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. But now, university data shows that a student's score on the Scholastic Assessment Test or American College Test is "a proven differentiator" in gauging a student's academic potential, particularly among students who have high grade point averages and those enrolled automatically, President Jay Hartzell said in a news release.

“Our goals are to attract the best and brightest students and to make sure every student is successful once they are here. Standardized scores combined with high school GPA support this goal by improving early identification of students who demonstrated the greatest academic achievement, the most potential, and those who can most benefit from support through our student success programs,” Hartzell said.

“Our experience during the test-optional period reinforced that standardized testing is a valuable tool for deciding who is admitted and making sure those students are placed in majors that are the best fit," he said.

UT's admissions are dictated by state law: the top 6% of all Texas high school students are offered automatic entry to the university — making up 75% of the school's incoming class. This year, which had a record applicant cycle, the remaining 25% of the school's enrollment — students who were not automatically admitted and are chosen through a holistic review process — had an acceptance rate of 11%, Joey Williams, the director of marketing supporting undergraduate admissions recruitment, told the American-Statesman in February.

The university had 73,000 people apply for enrollment for the upcoming fall semester. Its data shows that 42% of these applicants opted to share their standardized test scores, and 49% of those who were auto-enrolled did as well.

The university said its data shows that students who submitted their test scores tended to score significantly higher on them and perform better in their first semester in college.

The median SAT score from the fall 2024 applicant pool was 1420. The SAT's score ranges from 400 to 1,600. Of the students who enrolled in 2023, the university said those who submitted their test scores were shown to have a higher GPA of about 0.86 grade points in their first semester in college compared to those who did not.

UT also credits its knowledge of student test scores to its ability to grow its four-year graduation rates after launching a student success initiative in 2012 that used standardized test scores to predict and provide targeted assistance for student outcomes. The university said bringing back the scores will help it identify who else will benefit from the student success program.

Though it will not change the automatic enrollment process, UT said the test scores will help it holistically review each candidate and better match applicants, including students who were automatically admitted, to their chosen majors.

Last week Brown University opted to bring the tests back, joining Yale University and Dartmouth College, which announced their return to requiring the test scores in February.

UT is also introducing a new early action program, in which students would need to apply for admission by Oct. 15 to learn if they were accepted by Jan. 15. The application enrollment period for UT's 2025 fall semesters opens Aug. 1 and closes Dec. 1. Students who apply by the Dec. 1 deadline will have a guaranteed answer by Feb. 15.

The school is also adding a waitlist for those who are not automatically given entry; encouraging letters of recommendation to come from outside of high school; reducing the number of short answer essays; and making its required essay's topic more flexible.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT Austin to require SAT or ACT test scores for admissions. Here's why