It wasn't too long ago that test optional admissions were something only community colleges engaged in. For years, the ACT and SAT test scores were sacred elements of the evaluations of thousands of students seeking admission into colleges and universities across the country. This is beginning to change.
Schools like Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin have veered off the beaten path and are blazing a new trail in the practice of test optional admissions. Test optional essentially means if you think your admissions package is strong enough without an ACT or SAT score, then don't submit it. Ken Anselment, the new Dean of Admissions at Lawrence, recently commented that they have not found any lowering of the quality of students in their incoming classes due to this new policy. In fact, Lawrence is attracting some very capable students simply on the basis of their agreement with the university's test optional policy. Check out the story below...
Over 800 schools have some element of test optional within their admissions system. Check out the full list at FairTest.org.