Test-optional for years now, Towson University has seen impacts on their student demographics

On By Littum

By Theresa Pratt, Staff Writer

In the past few years, several universities have switched to becoming permanent test-optional institutions, meaning that submitting SAT or ACT scores is optional when applying for admission. For some institutions, including Towson University, it’s an effort to better serve underrepresented students.

“We have already seen a shift in our demographics here at TU, and I believe that removing the test score from the admissions process has allowed more students of all backgrounds to pursue a university degree based on their academic performance in high school and not by meeting. a standardized test score,” said Assistant VP of College Admissions Amy Moffatt.

TU did not become test-optional until 2021, the decision was initially made in relation to the impact of the pandemic on taking the SAT, but in the spring of 2023 TU announced that it would switch to the test-optional model permanently.

“There is evidence to support that underrepresented students benefit from test-optional policies, as there are disparities in SAT/ACT scores among race, ethnicity, and income groups, resulting in students performing lower on the tests on average, Moffatt said.

ONE study from the National Center for Education Statistics compiled data on high school students who took the SATs from 2017-2023. The average SAT score during that time was 1028 out of 1600. The data set included breakdowns by the student’s gender, race/ethnicity, their first language learned and the highest level of parental education.

The average score for all demographic groups never fell below a score of 850, with most between 900 and 1100. However, there were differences of 100 points or more between white students and black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American/Alaska Native students.

Moffatt said the permanent test-optional status contributed to the holistic approach the university aims to use in the admissions process.

TU has seen an overall drop in enrollment since 2019, but with discrepancies between student demographics. According to Student data & analysisAfrican-American or black and Hispanic/Latino students have increased since 2019, while white students have decreased.

Although Towson is permanently test-optional, applicants are still able to submit SAT scores with their applications, but no submitted test scores will negatively affect an application for admission, according to TU’s website.

“While a permanent test-optional approach may be beneficial, it is also important to consider that some students feel that test scores are an important part of their academic profile, and having the option to submit them provides flexibility,” Moffatt said.

SAT and ACT tests have been part of higher education since the College Board administered the first SAT test in 1926. College Board reported 1.9 million students took the SAT in 2023, up from 1.7 million in 2022. Although those numbers are nowhere near the pre-pandemic numbers of 2.2 million in 2019, which was the largest group ever, according to The college boardthey are increasing.

Virtual testing was unable to be offered during the pandemic, leading to test-optional applications as a solution. Moffatt shared that Towson has been analyzing incoming student data along with retention trends and persistence data to help track the success of their permanent test-optional policy.

The University System of Maryland declared in 2022 that each institution could make its own decision on testing policies instead of USM having to approve the policy for each academic year. In the spring of 2023, senior management supported the decision to become permanently test-optional for the fall of 2023.

Yen Tan of C2 Education Tutoring Center, which employs Towson University students, shared how the increasing number of schools going test-optional has impacted their clientele as they researched how universities’ increasing test-optional status can affect test preparation centers.

“There was a slowdown in clients during covid. Today, schools like Brown University, MIT Yale University, New York University’s engineering … and Georgetown University still require submission of test scores,” Tan said.

When discussing whether more schools should become test-optional, Moffatt said there were significant benefits to the policy.

“For many students, standardized test scores may not fully reflect their academic potential, particularly for those from under-resourced schools or those who face systemic barriers to testing opportunities. By allowing students to choose whether to submit scores or not, optional testing policies allow them to present their best academic selves,” Moffatt said.

Moffatt also shared that removing the requirement to submit test scores allows students to showcase their academic strengths instead of worrying that their test scores will be the deciding factor in their acceptance.

“Ultimately, I believe each institution should determine the policy that aligns with its values ​​and mission, potentially through continued evaluation and research on the effects of elective admissions on student success,” Moffatt said.