Fresno State simplifies college application process

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State is making the college application process simpler for students.

Since the start of the pandemic, Fresno State has been able to admit more students and lower its admissions criteria. Plus, they're no longer looking at standardized test scores, like the SAT, which means it's all based on a student's GPA.

Clovis East senior Makena Willison said sending in her application to Fresno State was simpler than she expected

"For Fresno State, you only had to admit your grades, and that's it," explained Willison. "You didn't have an essay or anything."

Instead, the focus is all on student's GPAs.

"Everyone in my class was super excited we didn't need to take the SAT this year," added Willison. "It's obviously a big part of the application but figuring out that we don't have to take it, it's more stressful in other aspects."

While it's an easier application process, she says it makes the wait more stressful.

"For people who've been working for four years to make a good college resume, it's been a little harder," explained Willison.

For Fresno State, one of the biggest changes was dropping the requirement that applicants submit their scores from the SAT or ACT standardized tests.

"It's simplified the process," explained Enrollment Management Associate Vice President Malisa Lee. "In the past, it was GPA, times their SAT score, times something else. It created a formula."

Overall, the team says they want to make the application as accessible and simple for students as possible.

"I'd say an advantage in the pandemic was we actually had more capacity to serve students and fewer students have applied, therefore we're admitting more students," added Lee. "That allows that threshold to come down."

Fresno State state says they're not sure yet if they'll require applicants to take those standardized tests in future years.

It's too early to tell how this will impact application numbers this year. The application period closes next Wednesday, December 15th. The application deadlines were postponed after both the UC and CSU websites crashed due to heavy traffic.