The Universities of Wisconsin moved one step closer Thursday to making ACT and SAT scores optional for first-year applicants permanently, after the Board of Regents Education Committee reviewed a proposed rewrite of the system’s admissions policy. The change is not final: Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the full Board of Regents will vote on it at a future meeting.

For prospective students, the proposal would turn what began as a pandemic-era waiver into a standing choice. Under the draft, applicants using the traditional admissions pathway could submit scores if they believe the results strengthen their applications, but would not have to do so. The committee’s September 17 meeting book says scores, when submitted, could provide additional academic information but would not be the sole basis for admission.

The practical effect is continuity rather than an immediate change. The system first suspended its testing requirement in 2020, and the Regents have extended that suspension several times. In April, the Board approved a temporary extension through the 2027-28 academic year. That means applicants already planning for the next admissions cycle remain covered even while the permanent policy awaits final action, according to the April Education Committee materials.

UW administrators based the recommendation on system-specific research as well as the changing admissions market. The September proposal says a UW-Madison research team found that academic outcomes across the system remained steady or improved after 2020; ACT scores did not show a strong or consistent relationship with retention or graduation; and high school grade-point average had a stronger association with key outcomes. Earlier research presented to the Regents also found that test scores added little information beyond records already collected in the admissions process, the April record states.

The proposal also aligns the traditional application with newer routes that already omit standardized tests. Direct Admit Wisconsin uses high school records to offer eligible juniors admission to participating campuses without a traditional application. The September materials say roughly 40,000 direct-admission offers are expected for the incoming class of 2027 and that about 90 percent of Wisconsin high school juniors attend participating schools.

There are limits to what Thursday’s step does. It does not guarantee admission, erase campus-specific standards or prevent a student from submitting a strong score. Applicants would still face a comprehensive review based on transcripts, course rigor and other academic and personal information. The draft policy also preserves campus authority to request supplemental information where appropriate. It does not bind the Regents until the full board acts. For students and counselors, the immediate takeaway is simpler: the existing waiver remains in place, and the system is now formally considering whether to remove the test mandate from its permanent policy rather than extending it again.