NEW ORLEANS (press release) – COVID-19 has challenged higher education to look at the college admission process differently. Loyola University New Orleans is happy to announce the university has adopted a test-blind admission process.
Starting with the Fall 2021 application cycle, Loyola will not require a standardized test score for its university admission application and will not consider a test score, should a student choose to submit. In test-blind admissions, the SAT or ACT score is not considered for admission or merit scholarship decisions. A test score will also not be used for entrance into the university Honors Program. Test-blind admissions will allow the university’s admission process to be more focused on GPA, academic rigor, student involvement and the student’s personal statement.
“We recognize COVID-19 has had a large impact on the ability of students to follow the recommended timeline for the college process,” said Nathan Ament, chief enrollment officer. “The spring and summer after a student’s junior year are typically when students prepare for and complete standardized testing. Currently, the SAT and the ACT test dates offered in the late spring and throughout the summer have been cancelled. By removing the testing requirement, we hope to reduce some of the stress that might be caused by the college application process.”
Loyola has always been committed to reviewing applications holistically, Ament said. The Admissions Office carefully reviews each element of a student’s application before making a decision about admission or scholarships. The university values the way students have challenged themselves in the classroom, their commitment to activities and the time they took to carefully write their personal statement. That tradition continues with the switch to test-blind admissions.
The university recognizes that this year, the time that high school students planned to use to take the ACT and SAT has been dramatically altered by COVID-19. The SAT and ACT testing dates offered at the end of the school year and throughout the summer have also been cancelled. Loyola does not want this to impact or delay the university admission process for prospective students.
A few caveats remain: Louisiana students hoping to receive state-funded TOPS scholarships will still have to take and submit qualifying SAT or ACT scores, as required by the Louisiana Office of Financial Student Assistance (LOFSA). Loyola will use the score to determine TOPS eligibility, but it will not factor the test score into admissions decision.
Student athletes will also need to plan ahead. Currently, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which governs Loyola Athletics, requires a test score for eligibility for the 2021-2022 academic year. However, an exception was made by NAIA for the 2020-2021 academic year. Please visit the NAIA Eligibility Center for the most current information.
Learn more about Loyola’s Test-Blind Admissions Process in these FAQs