Ohio University Undergraduate Admissions has temporarily changed its application procedures for prospective students in order to adapt to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The university will offer prospective students the option to turn in applications without SAT and ACT scores and has extended the deadlines for admissions from May 1 until “at least June 1 and throughout the summer as space permits,” Candace Boeninger, interim vice provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, said in an email.
OU will also support admissions deferral requests, application fee waiver requests and FAFSA change of income forms as a result of COVID-19, according to its website.
“OHIO has always tried to empower students and their families throughout the college search and application processes by offering transparency, flexibility, and a friendly, approachable staff,” Boeninger said in an email. “We’ll continue to uphold that commitment during this time, and some of our new policies and practices will help us do so.”
The university is offering the test-optional application pathway for students applying for admission for Summer 2020, Fall 2020 or Spring 2021 who were not able to take the SAT and ACT tests due to COVID-19.
Students will not be penalized for not submitting test scores, according to the test-optional admissions website.
Students using the test-optional process will still be eligible for the OHIO Commitment Scholarship, and a holistic review will be used in consideration for other scholarships when possible, according to the website.
The test-optional application is temporary, but the university is “evaluating longer-term impacts students in younger grades may face with testing,” Boeninger said in an email.
OU will still recognize Advanced Placement scores despite the altered testing format, and international students can now submit Duolingo scores in addition to traditional test scores to demonstrate proficiency in the English language, according to the admissions website.
High school students interested in College Credit Plus can also take advantage of test-optional admission, Boeninger said in an email. High school students with a 3.0 GPA or higher will be considered for CC+ programs, and the statewide deadline to declare intent to participate has been extended to May 1.
The university will also take a “flexible approach” with Spring Semester 2020 grades by looking at the academic performance with “a clear understanding of the context under which the coursework was performed,” according to the website.
OU will accept other universities’ alternative grading policies for transfer students and will accept unofficial transcripts for “conditional admission,” though an official transcript will be required before a student can receive a degree, according to the website.
The university is currently holding admission events virtually, including virtual campus tours, live and text chats with admissions advisers and current students and one-on-one appointments with admissions advisers.
Admitted students can also attend the second of two virtual OHIO Up Close days Saturday, April 25. The events begin at 9:30 a.m. and include all of the information typically included in an on-campus event, according to the Ohio Up Close website. The first virtual OHIO Up Close day took place Friday, April 17.
