The total number of colleges Not Requiring standardized exams (Test optional or test free) for admission exceeds1,900.   For a list of colleges which are test optional test-optional for this year's senior class, https://www.fairtest.org 

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FairTest Executive Director Harry Feder explains how K-12 education would benefit from moving away from standardized tests and toward more authentic assessments that are performance-based and capture student interest, are tied to curriculum and classroom work, and demonstrate student skill and knowledge. https://futurefocusededucation.org/2023/06/20/what-should-the-future-of-assessment-look-like-and-how-do-we-get-there/

 

 Admissions is as much art as science, because there are so many different grading systems, school types, curricula, etc. we are considering.  A transcript from NY with a Regents curriculum and state testing is very different than a transcript from Maryland... some schools weight, others do not... some schools offer AP or IB, others do not.  Ultimately, we are trying to make the best decision for both the student and the institution based around fit and promoting student success.  Sometimes that means saying no, but that is not the answer we ever go into the process wanting to make.  We want to say yes.  And we are going to use whatever information provided by a student to help us get to a yes decision.  .  

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VP for Enrollment and Management, Salve Regina University

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