The report found that between 1992 and 2010, test-optional institutions did not see any more gains in low-income enrollment (measured by the proportion of Pell Grant recipients) than test-requiring institutions did. Nor did test-optional institutions see larger gains, on average, in the proportion of black, Latino and Native American students they enrolled… Colleges, not students, are benefiting from test-optional policies, the study argues. Test-optional policies result in higher average reported test scores, presumably because students with scores below a college’s average have no incentive to report them. An institution’s average SAT and ACT scores factor into college rankings systems, such as the U.S. News & World Report’s annual list. Institutions also attract more applications after adopting a test-optional policy. This rise in applications can lead to a perceived increase in selectivity, because a college will admit a smaller share of applicants.

Read full article [here].
by Charlie Tyson, Inside Higher Ed.

Posted: June 20th, 2014, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.