The news broke this week that Dartmouth will be rescinding its test-optional admissions policy and once again require standardized test scores beginning with the class of 2029. This decision was based on research that found a strong correlation between test scores and student success at Dartmouth. More details from the research were published in the New York Times.
"GC students are not test scores or grades or essays - they are ever-changing and growing people with backgrounds and experiences that enrich our campus community."
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First, we are not Dartmouth. According to IPEDS data, Dartmouth’s 2021 acceptance rate was 6.2% while ours was 92.8%. Here at GC, we are not a highly “selective” college, but rather a place where diversity and equity are valued, and allowing students to achieve their success is prized. These principles clearly flow from our mission and vision statements with an eye toward justice. So, recommendation 1: each college needs to align its admissions policies to be true to who they are and who they want to be.
Second, it is important to name the bias present in standardized tests. The prejudice within these metrics is well-documented, even though they were initially intended as a way to open colleges to more students at a time when only the wealthy and privileged could attend. In the past, students from traditionally underrepresented populations have been hindered from providing their test scores. However, Dartmouth research showed that some students in this demographic would have benefited in recent years from providing their test scores. These students were not aware of the scores of other students and mistakenly thought theirs were too low. Recommendation 2: having those “in the know” consider test scores could be an advantage to students.
Third, because the benefits and limits of test scores are so well-documented and often discussed, colleges are empowered to carefully consider how they include test scores as only one data point among many. For example, our Goshen College Admissions Review Board, a committee that gives a second consideration to students who do not meet our regular admissions standards, considers grades, an essay, recommendations and any other documents the student provides. Recommendation 3: utilize this type of holistic approach to keep test scores as only one aspect of the student’s record
In the ASC, and as a member of GC’s Admissions Review Board, I work with many students from traditionally underrepresented populations and see firsthand how holistic policies can lead to transformed lives. For me, the real issue is not whether test scores should be included but rather how we strive to see the whole person. GC students are not test scores or grades or essays — they are ever-changing and growing people with backgrounds and experiences that will enrich our campus community. They are an essential part of our collaborative efforts to “cultivate joy, growth and purpose” for one another and those we have the privilege to journey alongside.
Michelle Blank ’92 is the recently appointed director of academic success.
