Episode 28—To Keep or Reverse Test-Optional Policies Post-Pandemic

Today on the Enrollment Edge we revisit the test-optional discussion. Pre-Pandemic, only a handful of colleges had adopted an admissions policy that didn’t consider standardized tests like the ACT or SAT. Today there are nearly 2000 colleges that have moved in this direction, many of them in response to canceled test dates, and the complications of requiring something from an applicant that they could no longer reasonably provide the college. In this Edge episode Jay talks to Joe Montgomery, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Success at Tuskegee University, about Tuskegee’s decision to no longer require standardized tests from applicants, as well as the ongoing decision to maintain that policy even after testing options have normalized. Jay and Joe talk through the purpose of standardized tests and what could replace them if the college's goal is successful placement and college success.