George Washington University drops SAT/ACT requirement for admissions

Alexandra Samuels | USA TODAY College

George Washington University dropped its admission requirements for incoming freshman and transfer students on Monday. According to a statement on the school's website, undergraduate applicants will no longer have to take the SAT or ACT to be considered for admission.

This new optional testing policy will be effective on August 1 and was made in response to findings from the university's Task Force on Access and Success that predicted success at the university can be found in a student's high school GPA or high school records, rather than in their standardized test scores.

"With the change, GW continues to strive for the twin goals of high academic standards and improved access, so central to the history of American education and especially important now in an era of demographic, economic and educational change," Graduate School of Education and Human Development Dean Michael Feuer said.

For the 2016-2017 school year, incoming students will still have the option to send their test scores to the school. However, those who choose not to send in their scores will not be penalized.

According to the news release, instead of SAT/ACT scores, school coursework and grades will remain the most important factors in GWU's holistic review process, "along with a student's writing skills, recommendations, involvement in school and community, and personal qualities and character."

"Although we have long employed a holistic application review process, we had concerns that students who could be successful at GW felt discouraged from applying if their scores were not as strong as their high school performance," Dean of Admissions Karen Stroud Felton said on the school's statement. "We want outstanding students from all over the world and from all different backgrounds—regardless of their standardized scores—to recognize GW as a place where they can thrive."

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing — FairTest.org — reports that many other universities have also optional-test admissions policies. However, GWU the third to take action this summer and is one of most distinguished schools to do this, with an average undergraduate enrollment of 10,000 and an acceptance rate of only 34%.

"The test-optional surge recognizes that no test — not the SAT, old or new, nor the ACT — is needed for high-quality admissions," FairTest's Public Education Director Bob Schaeffer told The Huffington Post. "Many independent studies and practical experiences have shown that test-optional admission enhances both academic excellence and diversity."

Homeschooled applicants, students from high schools that only provide narrative evaluation of students, college athletes and students applying for the seven-year program leading to a combined bachelor's/medical degree will still be required to take standardized tests in order to apply for admittance.

"I look forward to monitoring this innovation in admissions policy and learning how this will widen the field of qualified applicants and continue to move our university to even higher levels of academic excellence," Feuer said.