2 More Schools Go SAT-Optional

Virginia's George Mason University and Minnesota's Gustavus Adolphus College have both decided to make SAT scores an optional part of their admissions process.

GMU will no longer require students with strong high school academic records to include SAT scores with their applications. To qualify for this exemption, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and rank in the top 20 per cent of their class.

Gustavus Adolphus College is making SAT scores optional for all applicants, having concluded that standardized test scores had not proven a reliable predictor of post-secondary school academic performance. The school will rate applicants solely on the basis of college preparatory coursework, leadership, and extracurricular activities.

According to Fairtest.org, a nonprofit organization that reports on standardized testing, over 730 schools follow SAT-optional admissions policies. That list includes highly regarded colleges such as Hamilton and Bates. As we noted in an April 7 posting to this blog, however, college applicants should be careful to look at the details of admissions and class placement if they apply to schools with SAT-optional policies.