Michigan Considers Changes to High School Merit Exams

Michigan, September 25, 2025

News Summary

Michigan is deliberating bipartisan bills to change high school merit examinations, proposing to eliminate the SAT essay requirement and remove standardized test scores from college admission transcripts. The House Education Committee supports these alterations to reduce college application stress for students. Advocates assert current testing practices are outdated and disadvantage Michigan students compared to peers in other states. Despite pushback from the Michigan Department of Education, a trend toward revised admissions criteria is gaining momentum as colleges reevaluate their processes following the pandemic.

Michigan is currently considering a series of bipartisan changes to its high school merit examinations designed to alleviate the pressures faced by students during the college application process. The House Education and Workforce Committee has voted to advance House Bills 4556 and 4557, which aim to eliminate the SAT essay requirement and remove standardized test scores from high school transcripts used for college admissions.

These proposals were put forward by state Representatives Tom Kunse (R-Clare) and Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth). The proposed changes involve the elimination of the SAT essay portion, which students are currently mandated to complete as part of their standardized testing. If these bills are approved, students will no longer have to submit SAT essay scores, and such scores, along with other standardized test results, will not appear on transcripts for college admissions.

Currently, Michigan’s merit examinations, which include the College Board SAT, ACT WorkKeys assessment, and the M-STEP test for science and social studies, are administered to 11th grade students and eligible 12th graders every spring. Supporters of the bills argue that the SAT essay, in particular, has no bearing on college admissions decisions, thus making its inclusion on student transcripts unnecessary.

State Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Detroit) is also a co-sponsor of the bills and emphasizes that the legislative changes aim to reduce the stress students face when applying to colleges. Notably, many Michigan universities have shifted to allow students the option of whether to include their test scores in the admissions process, a trend that has gained traction during the pandemic as colleges rethink their evaluation criteria.

The current law requiring the SAT essay on transcripts dates back to the early 2000s, when the implementation of the MEAP test was mandated by the state. As admissions policies have evolved in recent years, particularly due to changes prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for updated transcript requirements has become apparent.

However, the Michigan Department of Education has voiced its opposition to the removal of the SAT essay requirement. The department argues that the essay component plays a vital role in teaching essential writing skills that are required for success in college and beyond. Notably, it is important to recognize that college admissions officers do not consider the SAT essay in their evaluations, especially since the College Board discontinued the essay requirement in 2021.

Advocates for these legislative changes express concern that the outdated requirement disadvantages Michigan students compared to their out-of-state peers. They assert that removing the SAT essay and standardized test score requirements would promote fairness and equity in college admissions. These bills are expected to be revisited by the House committee in the coming weeks, with strong support from educators and organizations that advocate for college access reform in Michigan.

As the discussion progresses, it remains to be seen how these potential changes will reshape the landscape of high school assessments and college admissions in Michigan.

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Additional Resources

• Michigan Advance: House Education Panel Moves Legislation
• Click On Detroit: Michigan Bills Aim to Remove SAT Essay Score Requirement
• Bridge Michigan: Push to Take SAT Scores Off Student Transcripts
• Wikipedia: SAT
• Encyclopedia Britannica: SAT

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