Wesleyan Goes Test Optional To Increase Access

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Nancy Hargrave Meislahn spoke to Bloomberg Businessweek about Wesleyan’s decision last May to go test optional. According to the article, over the past two years, at least 20 U.S. schools have stopped requiring applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores.

“This is a moment in time where we felt there’s growing questions in K-12 and beyond about the value of standardized testing,” said Meislahn. “We also see this as an access initiative. We’ve known for a long time the correlation between test scores and income.”

A study released in February that found no significant difference in the grade-point average or graduation rates between applicants who did and didn’t submit test scores was another reason behind the school’s decision, Meislahn said.