CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Wilson College will join hundreds of other colleges nationwide in making standardized tests such as the SAT an optional part of its highly selective admissions process. The test-optional policy, which was recently approved on a four-year trial basis by the Wilson faculty, will take effect with applicants for the spring and fall 2008 semesters.
The decision to change Wilson’s admissions policy regarding standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT is based on a wealth of research and findings showing that the tests are not the best measure of a student’s likelihood of college success, according to Wilson Director of Admissions Mary Ann Naso.
“Standardized tests have never been a measure of motivation, creativity, leadership – all of the qualities you look for in a good student,” Naso said. “All of the studies show that the best predictor for success in college is the high school transcript.”
To qualify for acceptance to Wilson without submitting standardized test scores, applicants will be required to have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher from a regionally accredited secondary school in a college preparatory curriculum that minimally includes:
If a student does not meet these requirements, or if she is home-schooled or from a country outside of the United States, standardized tests will remain part of Wilson’s admissions criteria.
Lisa Woolley, associate professor of English and chair of the Wilson College Faculty Admissions and Financial Aid Committee, said tests such as the SAT can unfairly penalize good students who may have been ill or distracted on the day of the four-hour exam, as well as those who simply don’t perform well on standardized tests.
“A very good student who had a bad day might be reluctant to apply if she thinks that we place a great deal of emphasis on the SAT,” Woolley said. “We have the luxury of looking at student applications more holistically because we’re small. We look carefully at their transcripts. They submit a writing sample and information about extracurricular activities. SAT scores are a part of the picture, but they really only represent one day’s efforts.”
In addition, the advent of SAT and ACT prep courses - which prepare students to do well on the tests themselves – have made scores an unreliable measure of a student’s knowledge and ability, and have put students who can’t afford the courses or don’t have access to them at a disadvantage, Wilson officials said.
“We want to open doors to academically prepared and highly motivated students. We’ve found predicting their success has little or nothing to do with how they perform on the SAT or ACT tests,” said Wilson President Lorna D. Edmundson. “A move to a test-optional admissions process will permit us to level the playing field for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background or other factors that can unfairly affect their opportunities to attain a college education.”
Across the nation, more than 730 colleges have made the decision to become test-optional, including Dickinson, Gettysburg, Franklin and Marshall, and Messiah colleges in Pennsylvania. Mount Holyoke was the first women’s college to adopt the policy, according to Naso.
During the trial period, Wilson College officials will track students to determine whether those admitted without the use of standardized test scores perform any differently than those who were admitted on the basis of tests. Other colleges that have adopted test-optional admissions policies have not found any differences in student achievement, Naso said.
The test-optional policy also will affect the way Wilson scholarships are awarded. Previously based on standardized test results, scholarships will now be based on a student’s cumulative secondary school grade-point average in a college prep curriculum and class rank, college officials said.
For more information, contact Wilson College Communications Associate Cathy Mentzer at (717) 264-4141, Ext. 3178 or cmentzer@wilson.edu.
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Wilson College is an independent college dedicated to the education of women, rigorous study in the liberal arts and sciences, and strong career preparation. Wilson is committed to the life of the mind and spirit, to environmental sustainability, and to preparing articulate, ethical leaders who will serve their communities and professions effectively in an increasingly complex, interdependent and global world. The College is distinguished by its supportive, diverse and close-knit community, which is guided by the Wilson Honor Principle.
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