Auburn to implement admissions modifications for fall 2021, joins Common app for ease of new applicants

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With standardized testing sites continuing to be limited amid the ongoing global pandemic, Auburn University is implementing some modifications to its existing admissions procedures for the fall 2021 semester.

The nation’s standardized testing services, SAT and ACT, continue to have limited availability for testing sites and dates, making it difficult or virtually impossible for many students nationwide to take such tests and meet Auburn’s traditional deadlines. As such, Auburn will offer some more flexible options— designed in the best interest of the student to help prevent applicant delays.

As part of the modifications, any valedictorian or salutatorian from an accredited Alabama school with 50 or more graduates will qualify for admission and be accepted into the Honors College. All other fall 2021 student applicants unable to secure a standardized test will receive a “holistic” review that will include leadership activities, high school performance, letters of recommendation, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate scores, short essay questions and other pertinent factors. Meanwhile, students who were able to take a standardized test can still use their score in Auburn’s 2021 fall admissions process as in years past.

“Auburn remains committed to enrolling a robust and diverse freshman class, and this holistic review approach will help us in upholding the strong academic credentials of our incoming class for 2021 despite the continued challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Joffery Gaymon, Auburn’s vice president for enrollment. “Our ultimate goal is always to further enrich the Auburn Family with a new group of high-achieving incoming freshmen while advancing access and fulfilling the university’s land-grant mission.”

Auburn’s fall 2021 application for admissions opened on Aug. 15, and now applicants can experience a more simplified application experience with Auburn’s recent move to join the Common App system—a powerful online college application platform that serves more than 3 million applicants, teachers, counselors and advisors throughout the nation and world. The Common App streamlines the application process and helps reduce common barriers, including making the fee waiver process more efficient for students in need.

By joining Common App, Auburn is also helping to make additional tools and services available to students and those who support students through Common App, including financial aid and scholarship information, virtual mentors, online portfolios and a vast library of counselor resources available in English and Spanish. Common App also offers round-the-clock technical support 365 days a year to all applicants.

"We joined Common App to help simplify the college application experience for students and counselors," said Gaymon. "Our new partnership with the Common App will help Auburn educate more students about the value, attainability and affordability of an Auburn degree."

Students can create a Common App account now because their account will roll over from year to year. Common App members also can use the Common App for transfer, a separate application designed exclusively to meet the needs of transfer and adult student populations.

To aid in the application process, Auburn will also offer two virtual workshops Aug. 26-28 to provide students helpful information on how to apply. The registration link for those workshops can be found at aub.ie/virtual.

To learn more about the Common App, visit commonapp.org, and follow @CommonApp and #CommonApp on social media. To request more information about Auburn admissions or to schedule a campus visit, go to auburn.edu/admissions.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.