University of Kansas to stop requiring entrance exams

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – The University of Kansas is doing away with the requirement that incoming freshmen take a standardized test – like the ACT or SAT – to be admitted.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that new standards approved this past week by the Kansas Board of Regents are scheduled to be in place for the freshman class that begins in the spring 2022 semester.

The changes allow any student with a 3.25 high school GPA to be admitted without taking the ACT or SAT.

Under the old rules, freshmen had been required to take either the ACT or SAT, or else seek relief from a special review panel that could waive the requirement.

The changes also mean that prospective students who take the ACT will only need to score a 21 and have at least a 2.0 GPA to be guaranteed admittance. The current policy requires at least a 3.25 GPA for students who score between 21 and 23 on the ACT. Students who score 24 or higher can be admitted with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Many schools have dropped standardized testing requirements after the pandemic made it difficult for students to take the exams.