Incoming first-year students who apply to Missouri University of Science and Technology for the fall 2021 semester now have the choice of whether to submit their standardized test scores to the university.

Missouri S&T’s temporary test-optional admission policy applies to first-time undergraduate applicants applying for admission to the 2021–2022 academic year. S&T is part of a pilot program that suspends the standardized testing requirement for all first-time undergraduate applicants to any of the University of Missouri System universities.

COVID-19’s impact on high school students and their schools last spring and again this fall prompted this temporary suspension of the standardized testing requirement.

“Applying to college is stressful enough, and we recognize COVID-19 and the limited accessibility and availability of standardized tests nationwide only compounds that stress,” UM System President Mun Choi said. “Applications will still be thoroughly reviewed and must meet our institutional standards for academic excellence.”

Students may still choose to submit ACT or SAT scores, and the admissions requirements and review process for those applicants will remain unchanged. Applicants who choose not to submit a standardized test score will not be at a disadvantage, however, says Shobi Sivadasan, vice provost of enrollment management at Missouri S&T. Their applications will be reviewed based on GPA, class rank, academic course load, rigor of coursework, and extracurricular and leadership activities. Applicants will also be asked to submit a 200-word paragraph describing how they will contribute to the S&T community

“This pilot program will allow greater flexibility for student applicants during a very uncertain and unsettling time,” Sivadasan says.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Founded in 1870 as the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 8,000 students and part of the four-campus University of Missouri System. Located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 99 different degree programs in 40 areas of study, including engineering, the sciences, business and information technology, the humanities, and the liberal arts. Missouri S&T is known globally and is highly ranked for providing a high return on tuition investment, exceptional career opportunities for graduates, and an emphasis on applied, hands-on learning through student design teams and cooperative education and internship opportunities. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.