List of Colleges and Universities that De-emphasize the Use of Standardized Tests in Admissions
NEW FAIRTEST ANALYSIS FINDS:
MORE THAN 700 4-YEAR COLLEGES DO NOT USE SAT I OR ACT SCORES
TO ADMIT SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF BACHELOR DEGREE APPLICANTS
As high school
students across the country sharpen their Number 2 pencils for the academic
year's first national administrations of the SAT and ACT, a new list published
by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) demonstrates
that scores from neither test are necessary for many applicants at more than
700 four-year U.S. colleges and universities.
"Applicants can now choose among more than 700 accredited,
bachelor-degree granting institutions -- more than a quarter of the national
total -- that admit substantial percentages of their first-year classes
without using the SAT I or ACT," said FairTest University Admissions
Analyst Beth Beard. "Deemphasing standardized test scores is an excellent
way to comply with the recent U.S. Supreme Court endorsement of 'holistic'
admissions." The FairTest count is based on a systematic review of the
College Board's 2003 College Handbook and other guide books, information
posted on college and university websites, and interviews with school
officials.
LIST ONE (by state) LIST TWO (alphabetical)
"Colleges and universities eliminate test score requirements for many
reasons" explained Bob Schaeffer, FairTest's Public Education Director.
"Many are concerned about the negative impact on race and gender equity
that results from relying on test scores. Others recognize that high-priced
coaching programs artificially boost the scores of students who can afford
them. Most agree that scores from a three hour exam add little of value to an
applicant's portfolio."
The first SAT administration of this school year takes place this Saturday,
October 11. The first national administration of the ACT is two weeks later on
Saturday, October 25.
The new FairTest list includes such highly selective institutions as Bates,
Bowdoin, Connecticut, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Mount Holyoke, and
Pitzer colleges as well as members of large public university systems in
Arkansas, Nebraska, Texas, and other states. Religious, for-profit, and
distance-education colleges are also included.
Some schools on the list do not require any applicants to submit test scores
while others require them only from students whose high school records do not
meet minimum grade point average or class rank levels.
The full list of more than 700 accredited, bachelor degree-granting
institutions which do not use the SAT I or ACT to make admissions decisions
about substantial numbers of freshman applicants is posted on the web at http://www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm
in both state-by-state and alphabetical order. Printed copies may be obtained
by sending a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope to FairTest, 342
Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139.
for further
information:
Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
FairTest
342 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-864-4810
fax 617-497-2224