Barnard College has announced that it will be extending the temporary SAT and ACT test-optional policy for students applying for Fall/Spring 2022 and Fall/Spring 2023.

Barnard College will be extending its temporary SAT and ACT test-optional policy for students applying for the Fall/Spring 2022 and Fall/Spring 2023, according to an announcement made on the College’s website earlier today. While students can choose to submit test scores if they have them, students who do not submit test scores will not be required to submit other documents. The test-optional policy only applies to the SAT and ACT. Barnard does not require students to take the AP exam if they are enrolled in an AP course but encourages students to self-report AP and IB scores if they have taken those exams. 

Barnard made this decision because it “recognizes the challenges that students are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and feels this decision will allow students to prepare their upcoming applications without the fear that they may not be able to take the exam,” according to Barnard’s website. The announcement assured applicants that “under this temporary policy, the Office of Admissions has no preference whether a student chooses to submit scores or not. All students will be reviewed in a holistic and contextual review, regardless of whether they submit scores or not.” 

Prior to the application deadline, students can choose to change their test-optional status by writing to admissions@barnard.edu. After the deadline, scores will not be accepted from applicants who applied under the test-optional policy. If students would like scores to be considered but do not have them at the time of application, they should submit their application indicating that they would like their scores to be reviewed. Early Decision applicants have until November 15, and Regular Decision applicants have until February 15 to submit their scores. After those dates, all applications without scores will be changed to test-optional. Students who are deferred from Early Decision to Regular Decision will not be allowed to change their testing status.

Barnard’s announcement of the extension of their temporary test-optional policy comes less than two weeks after Columbia made a similar announcement extending their test-optional policy for Columbia College and Columbia Engineering through applications for the class of 2026.

Barnard Campus via Bwog Archives