 The University of Alabama has announced that standardized test scores are optional for admission in 2021. So what does that mean for prospective students? I'm DJ Jackson, Manager of Undergraduate Scholarships here to explain. Due to the lack of access to standardized tests around the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, students applying for admission in any semester of 2021 are not required to submit an SAT or ACT score. Although it is not required, it is still encouraged to submit scores if you've already taken an exam. Perspective students will still be required to submit official high school transcripts and meet minimum unit requirements to be considered for admission. For scholarship opportunities, we're excited to offer two scales for consideration this year. The automatic merit scale are scholarships awarded based on your high school grade point average and your standardized test score. The competitive academic scale are scholarships awarded to top scholarship applicants, and the scholarship value is based on the ranking of the top scholarship applications and the student's core GPA. The core GPA includes your grades from math, science, English, social studies, and foreign language courses. Students that submit the requirements for both scales will be reviewed on both scales and will be awarded from the scale that produces the highest scholarship value. We strongly encourage all admitted students to complete the scholarship application, whether they have a standardized test score or not. Thanks and Rural Tide.