UPenn will not require SAT or ACT tests for admission consideration

For the first time, the University of Pennsylvania will be "test-optional" and will not require the SAT or ACT exams for the 2020-21 first-year or transfer admission cycles. 

The university said it sees the tests as "one piece of a more comprehensive evaluation process that considers individual students in the context of their academic and personal experiences," reports the CNN.

"Penn Admissions acknowledges the benefits and limitations built into standardized tests, but because the College Board recently announced that an at-home version of the SAT will not be offered as planned, the capacity for in-person examinations has been severely limited due to Covid-19 so these combined factors will prevent thousands of students from taking the SAT exam. The scale of these challenges is unprecedented," according to a university spokesperson.

The university said it will continue to "follow the rules and regulations of the Ivy League in the recruitment of student-athletes to the institution."

In April, the College Board announced that If schools haven't reopened by the fall, students will be able to take the SAT from home.