Following the lead of the Kansas City campus, the University of Missouri announced Wednesday that standardized entrance exams will be optional for applicants to its campuses for the fall 2021 semester.

In January, UMKC announced it would no longer require SAT or ACT scores as part of an undergraduate application. The decision Wednesday does not apply to students who wish to be admitted this fall.

“We recognize COVID-19 and the limited accessibility and availability of standardized tests nationwide present stress and challenges for applicants," UM System President Mun Choi said in a news release. "This temporary policy will eliminate a hurdle created by the pandemic. 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, the release stated. Those who do not submit scores will have their applications judged based GPA, class rank, academic course load, rigor of coursework, extracurricular and leadership activities, letters of recommendation and personal essays.

Each UM institution will set its own standards for minimum GPA.