Top schools that don't require the ACT or SAT

     But more and more, colleges are re-evaluating those entrance exams, which can eliminate students who either don't have the resources to practice or are nervous on test day and fail to display their ability.
     George Washington University in the District of Columbia recently joined a growing list of colleges and universities that have stopped weeding out applicants based on their performance on well-known college entrance exams such as the SAT or the ACT.
     Applicants can still submit the test scores if they wish. But “students who do not think their SAT or ACT scores are an accurate reflection of their academic potential can choose not to submit them,” the school's website says. The decision to adopt a “test-optional” policy was made as the result of recommendations from the Access Committee of the university’s Task Force on Access and Success.
     While many colleges and universities still require an admissions test, George Washington joins a list of prestigious colleges that allow students the flexibility to forget about them. More than 850 schools do not require students to submit test results, according to FairTest -- The National Center for Fair & Open Testing. The organization's list includes prestigious universities such as George Washington. Here are an additional five, along with explanations from each school's website:

 

1. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina: As put on the school’s website: “For the record, it’s not that we think standardized tests are evil. We just think that the measure of your intelligence and potential requires a deeper dive. It’s about life experience, aspiration, work ethic, engagement and all of what makes you who you are.”

2. Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine: The school’s website points out that Bowdoin has been “test optional” since 1969. "This policy allows applicants to decide for themselves whether or not their test results accurately reflect their academic ability and potential." Roughly 30 percent of the class of 2018 did not submit scores, according to the school’s website.

3. College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts: "We are concerned about the inherent racial and socioeconomic bias in standardized testing, and believe that our test-optional policy addresses this issue," the website says. "Additionally, the policy communicates to students, teachers and parents how Holy Cross focuses on the four-year academic program as well as outside-the-classroom interests in admissions decisions -- instead of on a single number or score. Finally, we believe it helps de-emphasize the attention, expense and stress surrounding test scores and test preparation."

4. Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York: "We are a community of learners, committed to and passionate about creative expression, intellectual exploration, innovation, entrepreneurship and artistic growth," the website says. “ … Sarah Lawrence is committed to a holistic review process, and we know that standardized testing may not accurately reflect the potential and contributions of all students. If you decide not to submit your test scores, you will not, in any way, diminish your application.”

5. Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut:  Describing its test optional policy, the school website says, “We believe that students should have the power to decide how best to present themselves to the admission committee and whether -- or not -- their standardized test results accurately reflect their academic ability and potential."

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