DENVER – Public colleges and universities in Colorado are no longer required to consider SAT or ACT scores for first-time freshmen during the admissions process under a newly signed law, officials said.
Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill on Tuesday that preserves the option for an applicant to submit test scores when they apply to an institution, bringing Colorado in line with other state university systems in places such as Oregon and California, The Denver Post reported.
“What we’re finding in institutions of higher education is that it’s better to have a holistic approach to admissions,” Polis said. “We need to make sure that admissions practices are equitable.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, many school districts canceled standardized tests giving universities a glimpse into what the new law will look like in practice.
Democratic state Rep. Tony Exum, who sponsored the bill, said higher education institutions learned during this time that there was a large number of students of color who were not only applying but being accepted.
The law goes into effect immediately.
