The COVID-19 pandemic brought extensive changes to the college application cycle, including an uptick in the number of institutions using test-optional policies. As the institutions weigh whether to make test-optional policies permanent, there are several factors Ohio colleges should consider.
A test-optional policy allows students to submit their ACT or SAT scores, but not does not require them to do so. The push towards test-optional policies has been steadily increasing over the past decade, driven by concerns over potential bias in favor of white and upper-class applicants who can afford expensive test preparation and multiple test-taking attempts. Some institutions have even adopted a test-blind policy, in which they will not consider test scores at all.
ACT Inc. recently conducted a survey of admissions officers that sheds light on just how extensive the switch to test-optional has become. Prior to COVID-19, roughly 50% of four-year institutions were test-optional. As the College Board and ACT canceled in-person administrations in summer 2020 in response to the pandemic, an additional 30% of institutions implemented test-optional policies. As a result, less than half of students opted to provide their test scores on the Common Application in the most recent application cycle.
If Ohio institutions elect to permanently implement test-optional policies, they are in good company; roughly 50% of respondents to the ACT Inc. survey intended to maintain test-optional in the future. The Fiske Guide to Colleges also announced in March that they will no longer report ACT and SAT scores, adding to pressure on other college guides (most notably U.S. News & World Report) to follow. Students also report that they are more likely to apply to a college with a test-optional policy.
Yet moving to test-optional policies alone will not suffice to confront inequality in higher education. Studies on these policies have generally concluded that a test-optional policy only slightly increases the diversity of the undergraduate student body. The most recent study suggests that moving to test-optional should be one facet of a broader plan for equity and inclusion. In sum, test-optional may be a worthwhile strategy for Ohio institutions to pursue, but they should be part of a broader strategic plan aimed at fostering success among historically minoritized students.