Test-Free Admissions at Selective Institutions: Perspectives From Admissions Professionals

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• Test-Free Admissions at Selective Institutions:Perspectives From Admissions Professionals
• Julie J. Park (bio), Nancy Wong (bio), Pearl Lo (bio), Jia Zheng (bio), OiYan Poon (bio), and Kelly Rosinger (bio)

As of fall 2023, more than 1,900 U.S. colleges and universities no longer required standardized tests, representing a major change in college admissions (Fairtest, n.d.). The vast majority of these schools use test-optional policies, meaning that students have the choice to submit scores or not.¹ While test-optional admissions is linked to modest increases in racial and ethnic diversity (Bennett, 2022), it is no panacea for a deeply inequitable system. While preferable over requiring standardized tests, test-optional policies also have some unintended consequences. For example, low-income, first-generation, and racially minoritized students may experience confusion over whether or not to submit test scores (Camacho et al., 2022; Park, 2023). Another concern is that the testing percentile range (i.e., the 25th to 75th percentile of scores) has increased at many institutions because higher-scoring students are more likely to submit test scores. Although institutions may enjoy the prestige associated with higher test scores, such increases may make institutions seem out of reach to historically underrepresented students, even if they have the option not to submit scores (Park, 2023).

The limitations of test-optional policies do not warrant a return to required standardized testing, which is even more counterproductive to equity given that race and class are substantial predictors of performance on such tests (Geiser, 2015). However, these limitations signal a need to explore other options regarding testing. Consideration of alternatives is essential in light of the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina ruling, which severely curtailed race-conscious admissions as of summer 2023.

One alternative is test-free admissions. Currently, 85 institutions use test-free admissions, meaning they do not allow students to submit SAT or ACT scores for consideration. Test-free schools range from public institutions like the University of California system [End Page 438] to STEM-focused private institutions. Given the desire to promote equity in admissions post-SFFA, more colleges may consider going test-free in the future. Some admissions leaders have spoken enthusiastically about test-free policy adoption (e.g., Clark, 2021). Still, little is known about the ramifications of test-free policies at selective institutions, including the perspectives of admissions professionals who now evaluate applicants without test scores.

To help fill this gap, we asked: "What are the perspectives of admissions professionals on institutional shifts to test-free admissions?" Admissions professionals at selective institutions (average acceptance rate of 50% or lower) were surveyed about their institution's testing policies during the pandemic (Wong et al., 2023). Survey items included both multiple-choice and open-ended responses. Elsewhere, we analyzed the total sample (N = 226) to highlight how admissions staff grappled with shifts in testing policy during the pandemic, and the vast majority of respondents discussed being test-optional (Wong et al., 2023). However, we wanted to delve deeper into the experiences of those at test-free institutions, which led us to the current study. Here, we analyze responses from 17 participants who worked at institutions that went test-free after March 2020, representing 10 institutions in three states.

Most of our analysis is based on data from open-ended responses to survey questions, which are similar in nature to data collected from qualitative interviews, given that both capture participants' thought processes in a free-response format (Zull, 2016). Hence, the smaller sample size is appropriate for the study focus, which narrowly explores admission professionals' reactions to test-free admissions policies. Also, while the number of test-free institutions has grown, it is still relatively small. Thus, the sample represents a noteworthy proportion of institutions that became test-free during the pandemic (10 of 86). Open-ended survey responses may not have all of the benefits of collecting data through interviews (e.g., we were unable to ask follow-up questions or probe for additional information), but given the time-sensitive nature of the SFFA decision, analyzing existing open-ended survey responses offered the chance to document how admissions professionals experience...