Ball State University has made ACT and SAT scores optional as an entry requirement, becoming the first four-year public university in the U.S. to do so, according to the school in Muncie, Indiana.
For students entering for fall 2019, the standardized testing scores will be an optional part of the application, with officials saying in a university release that the move will give them more "flexibility" in attracting talented students.
The University of Chicago announced in June that it would stop requiring the ACT and SAT, but that rule will not take effect until the 2023.
Ball State said students can submit the scores if they believe it accurately reflect their academic abilities.
"If students feel their SAT or ACT test scores don't represent their academic abilities and decide not to submit them, we'll holistically consider their academic work and difficulty, extracurricular participation, and any applicant statements or recommendations," said Kay Bales, Ball State's vice president for student affairs and enrollment services.
Indiana University spokesman Chuck Carney told the Muncie tar Press that it is also looking into the possibility of going test-optional as well.
"Indiana University continues to evaluate best practices to identify ways in which we can support students' access to college," Carney told the newspaper. "Giving students the opportunity to choose whether to submit standardized test scores is just one piece we are researching and discussing."
"Ball State's move is very significant because it's a major public university in the heartland," Bob Schaeffer, a spokesman at FairTest, an organization that advocates for standardized test reform, told the Star Press.
"Higher education in the 21st century is very competitive … and colleges pay attention to what their peers and competitors are doing. A well-known school like Ball State going test-optional … sets a model that others can follow," Schaeffer added.
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