{"id":18549,"date":"2017-03-29T15:51:56","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T19:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=18549"},"modified":"2019-04-16T10:47:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T14:47:00","slug":"sat-act-exam-optional-colleges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/sat-act-exam-optional-colleges\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Board Scores: 10 Colleges That Don’t Require SAT and ACT Tests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every year, thousands and thousands of high school seniors squeeze into small, tightly packed classrooms just as the sun is coming up. These tired, nervous students are there for something that almost every student dreads; they are there to take the SAT or ACT. These standardized tests have long been a pinnacle of the American university system, often making or breaking a student\u2019s chances of being accepted by the college of their choice.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, though, we have seen many colleges dropping SAT\/ACT scores from their entrance requirements, so submission of SAT\/ACT scores becomes optional for applicants. If you\u2019re one of the students who does not test well, or simply doesn\u2019t want to take either of these tests, you\u2019re in luck. Many great colleges around the country have joined the growing test-optional movement. There are too many of these colleges to list, but here are some noteworthy ones.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Bates College<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Located in Waterville, Maine, <\/span>Bates College<\/span><\/a> is a highly selective, co-ed liberal arts college. Bates adopted its test-optional policy in 1984. Although it is noted for a stellar liberal arts curriculum, Bates\u2019s most popular majors seem to be the social sciences, biological and medical sciences, and psychology.  It is also known for its rhetoric program. If you are interested in any science-related field, this may be a school worth considering.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Bowdoin College<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bowdoin College<\/span><\/a> is a liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine, not far from Bates College.  Bowdoin is even more selective than its rival Bates. It chose to be test-optional in 1969. Bowdoin is a renowned liberal arts colleges in the country, consistently ranked alongside institutions like Williams College and Amherst College for academic excellence. The most popular majors seem to be government and political science, as well as general economics. Bowdoin students seem quite content, as the college boasts an <\/span>average retention rate of 97%<\/span><\/a> among freshmen.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Bryn Mawr College<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for an all-women\u2019s college, you may be in luck. Many of the highly regarded women-only colleges seem to be test-optional. <\/span>Bryn Mawr<\/span><\/a> is located in the town bearing its name in Pennsylvania. It is a member of both the Seven Sister Colleges and the Tri-College Consortium, which also features Haverford and Swarthmore. General psychology, general biology, and mathematics are the college\u2019s most popular majors, although general English literature isn\u2019t far behind.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. College of the Holy Cross<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to what its name might suggest, <\/span>College of the Holy Cross<\/span><\/a>, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, isn\u2019t just a school for religious studies. It boasts a highly regarded liberal arts curriculum with many popular majors, including the social sciences, psychology, and English language and literature. Strictly an undergraduate institution, Holy Cross boasts an excellent track record for students enrolled in top graduate programs, as well as Division I athletics. While it joined the test-optional movement in 2006, the school already had \u201ca highly personalized admissions process that already de-emphasizes standardized test scores,\u201d <\/span>according to Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J.<\/span><\/a>, then-president of Holy Cross.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. George Washington University<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most recent additions to the rankings of test-optional colleges is <\/span>George Washington University<\/span><\/a>, located in Washington, DC. With over 25,000 undergraduate students, this university is by far the largest institution on this list. George Washington just adopted a test-optional policy in August 2015.  There are many highly regarded schools within the university, so students have many, many different majors to choose from; some of the most popular majors are the social sciences, business, management, and marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. <\/b><\/span>Pitzer College<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pitzer College<\/span><\/a>, located in Claremont, California, is the only West Coast college to make this list. Pitzer College is a member of the Claremont Colleges, and boasts a highly regarded liberal arts curriculum and a beautiful, sunlit campus. Pitzer joined the test-optional movement in 2003, which has led <\/span>to the following<\/span><\/a>:  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n