Starting with the fall 2015 admission cycle, Beloit College will become test optional, which means that the submission of standardized test scores will be optional for domestic first-year applicants.
According to Vice President for Enrollment Robert Mirabile, more than 800 colleges and universities have enacted test optional policies. Among them are members of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, including Knox College and Lawrence University, and national universities, including DePaul University and Wake Forest University. In total, about one-third of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. News rankings are test optional.
“Given the extremely competitive marketplace in which we recruit students, it is important for us to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of each part of our application,” Mirabile said. “From this perspective, I am concerned that the standardized test requirement adds little unique value to our selection process. Indeed, the requirement can, in some cases, inhibit access to Beloit among capable students who would greatly contribute to and benefit from the College.”
Beloit’s test optional decision was made in consultation with a wide variety of campus stakeholders, including members of senior staff, the Admission and Financial Aid Committee and the board of trustees.
WCLO