SAT and ACT will soon be optional at Ball State. Here’s what they’ll use instead.

High school students may not need to go through the stresses of taking standardized testing like the SAT and ACT, thanks to a recent change in the admissions process at Ball State University.

For students who begin in the fall of 2019, submitting ACT or SAT scores will become an optional part of the university’s application process, according to a release published by the university Monday.

“Our research shows high school grade point averages are the strongest predictor for student success,” Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns said in the release.

The university claims to be the first four-year public university in Indiana to make the tests optional.

Monday’s release cited the potential for an increase in diversity among the student population as another reason for the change in the university.

“We strive to diversify our student body as much as possible, and a test-optional policy allows us to provide further access and to reach populations who might not perform well on standardized tests, but perform well in the classroom,” Ball State’s admissions website said.

The university will review the applications “holistically,” the website said, saying that “the evaluation process for those who submit their scores and those who do not will be quite similar.”

Then there is a question, Who should submit the scores? “Students who believe that their SAT and/or ACT scores are a positive addition to their academic record,” the website said.

However, Students who were home schooled or who attended a high school that did not provide grades will still be required to submit test scores.

In June, the University of Chicago became the most prominent institution to stop requiring the tests. Their new rule will take effect for the class of 2023.