- The Ivy League school says the Class of 2025 will only need to submit pass/fail grades
- Applications will continue to be judged on community involvement, employment and other out of classroom factors
FILE - In this March 7, 2017 file photo, rowers paddle down the Charles River past the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. An annual survey finds that most U.S. universities made money on their financial investments last year, but their returns were tempered by a global economic slowdown fueled by America's trade war with China. Harvard University remained the wealthiest school in the U.S., with an endowment valued at nearly $40 billion. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)Ivy League school Harvard University will not require standardised test scores for next year’s applicants because of the coronavirus pandemic, the US university announced on Monday.
The prestigious school will allow students to apply for admission into the Class of 2025, without requiring standardised test scores and instead accepting pass/fail grades.
Harvard said in a statement that the Covid-19 crisis had created "insurmountable challenges" in scheduling tests for all students, particularly those with low-income backgrounds.
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Students who are disadvantaged because of the limited opportunities during the outbreak "will not be disadvantaged as a result."
Instead, the applications will continue to be judged on community involvement, employment, and help given to students’ families.
"In the face of unprecedented uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the coronavirus and the economy, we want to be helpful in any way we can," the statement said.
The prestigious university located in the city of Cambridge in Massachusetts near Boston is ranked third in the world overall, according to Top Universities and has an acceptance rate of five per cent.