""We were really trying to understand how it was affecting students' experiences, both during the application process, but also on the ground, after the point of enrollment. I think our findings provide a counternarrative to that dominant narrative that test optional is resulting in all these unqualified students who can't handle college.""
""By and large the students said, 'We did fine.' Even staff members were like, 'They did fine.' Even if they experienced challenges, in the end they were able to get the support they needed.""
Qualitative research indicates that students admitted through test-optional policies and their professors do not feel underqualified. Interviews with 57 students and faculty from two selective public universities revealed that students generally felt capable and received necessary support despite challenges. The findings challenge the narrative that test-optional admissions result in unqualified students. The study was conducted after many institutions suspended test requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some returning to requiring scores. The data was collected in early 2025, highlighting ongoing debates about the effectiveness of standardized testing in admissions.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]