Gustavus Adolphus College

Gustavus Admission Office Test-Optional Admission Policy

Beginning with applicants for the Gustavus Adolphus College Class of 2011, submitting standardized test scores for admission consideration will become optional.

1. How does this benefit prospective students?

Students who have demonstrated their preparation for the challenge of Gustavus' curriculum-through their high school record and achievements-will continue to be admitted to Gustavus even though the test scores will be an option. As intense test anxiety and the resulting multi-billion dollar test preparation industry grow wildly, Gustavus can better serve students by alleviating the pressure of mandatory standardized tests and responding to the bias of standardized test preparation.

2. Will some students benefit more than others with this policy?

Students who do not feel their test scores accurately reflect their academic ability and potential will have a choice to submit their scores-giving them some say in the admission process. As a result, those with exceptional ability will continue to be admitted and rewarded based on the other pieces of their application-their high school transcript, involvement and interests, writing ability, and recommendations.

3. Why should any student take the ACT or SAT?

Gustavus admission counselors will advise prospective students to take standardized tests so they may fully explore their options and to prepare them for later standardized tests such as the GRE and MCAT.* However, these students will benefit from the knowledge before taking a standardized test that they may voluntarily submit the results to Gustavus.

4. Will test scores be required for any applicants?

While no applicants for admission will be required to submit standardized test scores (with the exception of the TOEFL for international students), scores will be considered when awarding the President's Scholarship, our top academic scholarship. Compared to Gustavus' other academic scholarships, President's applicants will continue to demonstrate their exceptional ability through additional steps: a scholarship application, an interview, an essay, and by submitting test scores.

5. Are Gustavus' admission standards changing?

No; as always, the emphasis will be on college preparatory curriculum as a student's coursework and resultant grade point average, which are proven to be the best predictors of future academic success. Having a test-optional admission policy reaffirms the importance of a student's long-term preparation for college inside the classroom, not a single, marathon test given on a solitary Saturday morning.

6. How does this benefit Gustavus?

Promising students with a high GPA and strong college preparatory coursework who may have otherwise not considered Gustavus because of their test scores will now be more likely to explore the College and apply. Also, Gustavus expects to see a significant increase in applications as has nearly every other institution that has instituted a test-optional admission policy. And, with greater applications comes greater applicant variety-leading to greater admission selectivity and the opportunity to build an even better incoming class.

7. How does this affirm and promote the mission of the College?

Gustavus offers a liberal arts education to students of high aspiration and promise-qualities that cannot accurately be measured by standardized testing. Important attributes for success at Gustavus-such as commitment, motivation, creativity, leadership, and maturity-are better-evaluated by considering a student's entire application. Additionally, this policy continues Gustavus' tradition of innovative education along with Writing Across the Curriculum, Curriculum II, the First-Term Seminar, and the 4-1-4 calendar.

8. How does the Gustavus application process compare to peer institutions?

Gustavus will be the first liberal arts college in Minnesota to have a test-optional admission policy and will join the ranks of Bates (ME), Mount Holyoke (MA), Franklin and Marshall (PA), and Bowdoin (ME) colleges. Recently, Lawrence University (WI) and Knox College (IL) have also chosen to make test scores optional for admission. Currently, twenty-four of the top 100 liberal arts colleges (according to US News and World Report's rankings) are test-optional.

9. How was this decision made?

The Gustavus Admission Office has been researching admission procedures as part of the ongoing effort to enhance the admission experience for prospective students and advance Gustavus' competitive position. Faculty members, administrators, the Faculty Senate, the Administrative Council, counselors at feeder high schools, college colleagues, and professional organizations have been consulted and have been very positive to this change in policy.

* Bates College, the pioneer of test-optional admission policies who has been test-optional for over 20 years, has conducted ongoing research on the policy's effects. Their landmark study (www.bates.edu) shows little difference in college academic performance and graduation rates between test-score submitters and non-submitters. There are minor differences in the career outcomes of each group, with exceptions in the four fields where students must take standardized tests for admission to graduate programs (medical, law, M.B.A., or Ph.D.). Therefore, Gustavus believes students planning to pursue additional education beyond their B.A. should familiarize themselves with the structure and experience of standardized testing