Columbia University will no longer require SAT or ACT scores in undergraduate admissions, making it the first Ivy League college to implement the pandemic emergency measure as its official policy.
The Morningside Heights institution first dropped its test score requirement at the beginning of the pandemic when testing sites shuttered, and the measure had been extended through next school year’s admissions cycle, the college newspaper Columbia Spectator reported.
The decision was “rooted in the belief that students are dynamic, multi-faceted individuals who cannot be defined by any single factor,” read the university website.
“Our review is purposeful and nuanced — respecting varied backgrounds, voices and experiences — in order to best determine an applicant’s suitability for admission and ability to thrive in our curriculum and our community, and to advance access to our educational opportunities.”
Just over 3.73% of applicants were admitted last year, according to university figures. In its second year that test scores were not required, the number of admitted students of color increased by 4% and first-generation college students increased by 3% from the year prior.
Colleges across the nation are considering the future of test scores in admissions, having implemented various policies on a temporary basis. The public college and university system in California was among the first to permanently remove the SAT and ACT from consideration.
Other schools extended their plans for a few years, giving officials time to analyze how an unforeseen experiment in admissions impacted their incoming classes.
Critics charge that the SAT and ACT put students without access to tutors and rigorous test preparation, or who underperform at high-stakes testing, at a disadvantage.
Columbia assured applicants who do not submit test scores “will not be at a disadvantage,” while students who do will not have an automatic leg up on the competition.
“Applicants will not have an advantage in the admissions process simply by submitting ACT or SAT results. The submission of test results will be viewed only as one additional piece of information among the many factors that we will consider in our continued practice of a holistic and contextual review process,” administrators wrote.
Students who sat for the tests more than once and choose to report scores will be evaluated on the highest metrics per each section.
“Our announcement … will provide more transparency for applicants and clarity on our admissions policies moving forward,” a university official told the Daily News. “It will give applicants more agency in deciding how to best represent themselves through their application.
