A top US university returns to using SAT and ACT exams in admissions

In an announcement on February 5, Dartmouth College said it had changed its undergraduate admissions policy, thereby restoring the requirement for students to submit SAT/ACT results starting with the admissions round for the class of 2029.

The university explained that the "test-optional" admissions policy, implemented since June 2020, was only temporary to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, and said that other schools in the US were doing the same, according to USA Today .

The school cites years of research on the role of SAT/ACT scores in the admissions process that shows standardized tests “are a significant predictor of student success at Dartmouth.”

“We believe that requiring standardized test scores improves, not detracts from, our ability to attract high-potential students… While important, standardized tests are only one of many quantitative and qualitative elements of the admissions process that help us evaluate the whole person,” Dartmouth College said in a statement.

Một đại học hàng đầu của Mỹ quay lại dùng bài thi SAT, ACT trong tuyển sinh- Ảnh 1. — Inside the Dartmouth College campus

Dartmouth is the first university in the Ivy League (a group of eight leading universities in the northeastern US) to make this move. According to CBS News , up to this point, other members of the Ivy League such as Harvard, Columbia and Cornell maintain a policy of not requiring SAT/ACT.

Thus, with Dartmouth College's announcement, US universities are likely to restore the policy of requiring applicants to have SAT/ACT results.

In the fall 2024 US study abroad admissions period, many universities will continue to maintain a "test-optional" admissions policy. This is considered to contribute to creating favorable conditions and reducing exam pressure for both domestic and international students.

However, experts say standardized tests are still a requirement for applying to top schools, "hot" majors or some scholarships.

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