Jersey City, N.J. – August 11, 2015 – Saint Peter’s University today announced the adoption of a test-optional (SAT/ACT) policy for undergraduate applicants, beginning with the fall 2016 application cycle. Undergraduate, first-year applicants will no longer be required to submit SAT/ACT test scores for evaluation during the application review process; however the scores will be considered should a student choose to submit them. Institutions of higher education across the nation have found that an applicant’s high school record in general is a better predictor of future success than standardized test scores.
A specific cohort of programs and scholarship applications will still require students to submit SAT/ACT scores for consideration. The programs and scholarships include the pre-nursing and honors programs as well as the presidential and academic excellence scholarships, among others.
“The decision to join the more than 800 colleges and universities that are currently SAT/ACT test-optional truly comes down to living out our Jesuit mission and manifesting the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis, or care for the whole person,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “This new policy puts greater emphasis on a holistic view of a student’s potential and allows the admission team to look beyond a standardized test score to give talented students the opportunity to become contributing members of the Saint Peter’s community.”
SAT/ACT opt-out students will be evaluated based on the rigor of high school coursework, grade point average, preparedness for college, evidence for potential success, motivation, commitment to higher education, long-range goals and successful leadership experience, among other achievements. These students may be required to submit supplementary materials such as additional essays or participate in interviews with admission counselors.
“Research shows that there are a number of elements that can put students at a disadvantage when it comes to standardized test scores, such as socio-economic and cultural factors,” said Elizabeth Sullivan, associate vice president of enrollment and dean of undergraduate admissions at Saint Peter’s University. “This enhancement to our admission policy, to look beyond test scores, will enable us to gain a holistic view of applicants. We know our student profile is dynamic and to evaluate them based on the criteria that accurately reflect their potential for academic success means we will be offering students the chance to build a portfolio for admission. With an increased focus on the applicant as a whole, it will serve us in developing the best class of students for Saint Peter’s.”
Saint Peter’s is now the seventh Jesuit institution in the United States to adopt a test-optional policy. As the number of test-optional policies continue to grow exponentially at colleges and universities across the country, statistics show that a majority of students still tend to submit their scores when a test-optional policy is in place. Also, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, the schools that have adopted the policy experienced an increase in applicants that are more diverse and demonstrate higher academic quality.
To learn more about the test-optional (SAT/ACT) policy for Saint Peter’s University, please visit the test-optional web page. To learn more about admission to the University, please visit saintpeters.edu/admission.
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Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.
Media Contact:
Sarah Malinowski Ferrary
(201) 761-6239
smalinowski@saintpeters.edu