Colleges going with standardized test scores optional for incoming fresh-people

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Applicants to Millsaps College will not be required to submit standardized test scores to be considered for admission for at least the next application cycle, the college announced today. The decision was made because of issues related to student access to standardized testing sites across the country because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic has added unfortunate obstacles to the lives of our prospective students and their families,” says Vice President of Enrollment Beth Clarke. “Limited access to testing sites across the country and day-of testing cancellations have added an additional layer of difficulty. We want to do everything we can to reduce anxiety and increase access to Millsaps.”

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More than half of all U.S. four-year colleges and universities will be test-optional for the fall 2021 admission cycle according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Millsaps College will consider a number of factors when students apply for admission during the next application cycle, including high school grades, course selection, activities, an essay and recommendations.

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The removal of the requirement for standardized test scores has an additional benefit of increasing educational opportunity for first-generation and underrepresented students. “It has been shown that standardized tests reinforce the socio-economic achievement gap because the tests often reflect differences caused by educational discrimination at the secondary level,” Clarke said. “Millsaps is committed to providing a rigorous residential liberal arts experience to all students, and our move to test optional reinforces this mission.”

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