UW Education Committee Proposes Making Standardized Test Waivers Permanent

Green Bay Appleton, WI, September 17, 2026 — The University of Wisconsin Education Committee has put forth a proposal that would permanently remove the requirement for standardized test scores in the first-year admissions process across all 13 University of Wisconsin campuses.

Under the proposed changes, the waiver of SAT and ACT test score submissions would become a permanent fixture for prospective students applying to the University of Wisconsin system. This initiative aims to permanently eliminate standardized test scores as a mandatory component for first-year applicants.

This policy change builds upon a practice already in place. The waiver of SAT and ACT test score requirements has been a part of the University of Wisconsin’s first-year admission process since 2020. The current proposal seeks to solidify this approach, ensuring that it is not a temporary measure but a long-term standard for admissions.

If adopted, the move would signify a significant shift in the university system’s approach to evaluating undergraduate applicants, moving away from a reliance on standardized testing as a gatekeeper for admission. The specifics regarding how admissions decisions will be weighted in the absence of test scores, and whether other application components will receive increased emphasis, are part of the ongoing committee discussions.

The Education Committee’s proposal is now under review, with further steps and potential adoption timelines pending committee and university system decisions. The contractor’s name and specific details about the timeline for this review were not provided.

Story summarized from the original created by Elissa Eaton on www.wpr.org, see more information here.