Xavier University announced on Tuesday, August 27 that it will no longer require prospective students to submit their SAT or ACT scores. Undergraduate applicants who “have a strong academic record” that is shown on their transcripts but not reflected on their test scores are not required to include them.
However, if students wish to submit their test scores, Xavier says they can still be included.
“If students believe their test scores are indicative of their academic achievement, then Xavier is happy to consider them as part of the application,” Aaron Meis, Xavier’s vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success, said, via FOX 19. “However, if students have a strong academic record demonstrated by above-average grades in challenging courses, but do not feel their test results are a good reflection of their academic performance, students can choose not to submit them.”
SAT and ACT scores are timed tests that test skills in math, science, and English.
The reason Xavier University will not require test scores for undergraduate applicants is that there is a “holistic review” and no one single item factors into the decision of whether the students are accepted.
“Every undergraduate application submitted to Xavier already receives a holistic review. This means every piece of an application is reviewed and considered in order to make a decision. One single item does not determine admissibility, and a test-optional policy allows students to demonstrate their abilities in other ways,” said Meis.
According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, Xavier joins more than 1,000 colleges and universities that have made the decision to drop SAT and ACT scores as a requirement.
Xavier University has campuses in Cincinnati and Norwood, Ohio. The university was founded in 1831. Xavier is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Michael J. Graham is currently the university’s president.