Due to the cancellation of standardized tests because of the pandemic, Cornell University has suspended ACT/SAT exam requirements for students seeking to enroll at the institution beginning in August 2021.
The suspension of test requirements also applies to early decision
In a statement on its website, Cornell added that it has not planned to adopt a test-optional admission policy permanently
We can’t pre-define in absolute, comprehensive terms what economic or personal disruptions will look like,” said Cornell. “We don’t plan to require any students to justify their reasons for not submitting test results, though we will hope to partner with applicants and their advocates throughout the reading period in order to understand each applicant’s circumstances.”
For the 2020-2021 application cycle, the standardized tests might still be a meaningful differentiator, in particular for students who live near a testing center or school that will be offering more testing seats or dates than they did in 2019 as well as for students who have not experienced lost income for one or more of their household providers or other significant new hardships and losses during 2020.
