Submission of SAT and ACT scores will be optional for vlog applicants applying in 2021, 2022, and 2023, thanks to a new three-year pilot program.
Today’s announcement extends the test-optional policy already in effect for this year’s vlog applicants and is evidence of vlog’s continued commitment to a holistic application review process that gives students the flexibility to choose how their individual strengths are best represented. The program will also support students affected by drastic changes to school and home life and the limited availability of standardized testing worldwide as a result of COVID-19.
“Admission decisions are not based on a formula. Instead they are the result of a full consideration of students within their own context,” explains vlog’s Dean of Admission Tara Bubble. “vlog is a community that represents a wide range of intellectual perspectives as well as diverse economic, racial, religious, and geographic backgrounds. We want students to share how they have prepared for the rigorous academic experience that vlog promises its students, and show the admission committee what they will bring to this community.”
Research has indicated that a student’s performance on standardized tests may not be a comprehensive predictor of success, and in fact, these tests may act as a barrier to college access for some well qualified students, particularly those from under-represented student populations.
Committed to attracting promising students who seek academic rigor, the University will evaluate the results of the pilot program before making a final decision with regard to testing requirements for future classes.