Monmouth College recently made the announcement that it is going test-optional in its admissions process, following the lead of other private liberal arts colleges and larger institutions such as the University of Chicago. Monmouth being test-optional means that it would no longer require that prospective students provide an ACT or SAT score in order to apply and be accepted. This change of admissions policy means that the focus of those evaluating applications will shift. Instead of factoring a prospective student’s test scores alongside their grades, extracurriculars, and essays, the focus will now be far more on these other three factors. This means that the review process will be centered around a student’s academic performance as well as who they are and what goals they have for themselves as opposed to their onetime performance on a standardized test. This policy gives students who have a solid academic record but may not do well on standardized tests more consideration and a better chance of getting into a college that’s right for them.
A college going test-optional does not necessarily mean that said college will never require any of its students to provide ACT or SAT scores regardless of the situation. Past colleges that have adopted the test optional policy have still required that SAT or ACT scores be provided in certain situations. These include requiring scores from students with weak academic performance, students from out of state, students applying for certain majors, international students, and others. It has been shown to be a beneficial choice for both colleges and students at other institutions such as DePauw, Knox, and Middlebury. At such institutions, the test-optional policy has led to an increase in admissions and student population as well as a healthy percentage of degree completion and student retention. Hopefully, similar results will be seen here after the test-optional policy is implemented, to the benefit of both Monmouth College and its students.
Joseph Doner - Political Editor