The COVID-19 pandemic forced colleges and universities nationwide to move toward truncated admission policies, ensuring that more students had an opportunity to reenroll in higher education programs. Due to pauses in standardized testing in various school districts across the country, many institutions provided a pathway to admissions without them. However, testing requirements are being reinstated at many schools, leaving some students at an unfair disadvantage. If your child has received a rejection from their school of choice, contact the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team at 888-535-3686 or go online now.

Dartmouth College Reinstates Standardized Testing Requirements

After a three-year cycle of extensions, the Massachusetts Ivy League institution is moving past the test-optional policy it used for the classes of 2025, 2026, and 2027. Lee Coffin, Dartmouth's dean of admissions and financial aid, said for those applying forward, "We're recommending students submit scores because we value having another piece of information." However, it's not a decision made wholly because of the pandemic but considered decades of analysis of other schools' admissions policies and results.

Coffin explains that other institutions of higher education, like Tufts and Connecticut College, have been test-optional for decades and have maintained their admission policies. On the other hand, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which switched to test-optional during the pandemic, has since reactivated it. He asserts that it comes down to a "local rationale" for integrating testing into admission requirements.

How Is the College Applicant Pool Affected?

Dartmouth's decision has prompted another round of debate over the pros and cons of testing in admissions, especially with how the most selective colleges proceed, making them a bellwether for other colleges re-evaluating their testing policies. There are still concerns about student academic preparedness post-pandemic. However, there remain high schools throughout the country that have held on to their curtailed testing standards and others that have subsequently inflated grades.

Colleges and universities may also warm to reconsidering testing requirements as most quantified mediums of the student experience are becoming things of the past. For instance, SATs, ACTs, class rank, aggregate GPA, and others are now relics. But as more disappears, testing remains. While a simple merit-based measure may be suitable for some college applicants, it can present a barrier to entry for others.

Can You Appeal Admissions Decisions?

Colleges and universities, including graduate programs and professional schools, offer admissions appeals for a reason. Schools recognize that their admissions committees, panels, deans, and officers make mistakes, overlooking deserving applicants. It is critical you do not miss your chance to overturn a decision, so let the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team assist you in mounting a defense.

If your school or program denied your admission application, retain the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team to help you appeal and overturn your rejection. We have helped hundreds of college and university students nationwide with successful admissions appeals. Call us at 888-535-3686 now or go online and use the confidential consultation service.