Salisbury University Admissions Officially Goes Test-Optional. Learning Process

Salisbury University Admissions Officially Goes Test-Optional.

Written on June 23, 2011 – 5:34 am | by Justin Fraser

After a five-year pilot study, Salisbury University was granted permission to make its test-optional admissions policy permanent.

According to a press release, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents approved the continuation of the test-optional policy after the pilot program showed that test-optional students outperformed students who were required to submit test scores.

Additionally, Salisbury University President Janet Dudley-Eshbach, pointed out that the program had other benefits as well.

“…The program has contributed to greater economic diversity among our incoming students, which we believe allows SU to better serve all the citizens of Maryland,” said Dudley-Eshbach in the press release.

Many other colleges have implemented test-optional admissions, including DePaul University. In fact, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing reported that nearly 850 colleges across the nation do not require standardized test scores from some applicants.

The press release noted that Jane Dane, dean of enrollment management at Salisbury University, pointed out that reliance on SAT or ACT scores often excluded some high quality applicants. The University now has a more holistic approach, evaluating factors such as scholastic achievement, leadership, community service and special skills or talents. Furthermore, a challenging high school curriculum has often indicated success at the university, which is why the institution maintained a minimum 3.5 GPA requirement to qualify for test-optional admission.

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