The University of Michigan is breaking from a growing trend among elite schools by solidifying its stance on standardized test scores, declaring them optional for undergrad applicants starting winter 2025. According to The Detroit News, U of M's policy enables prospective students the choice to submit SAT or ACT scores.
This move, reportedly aimed at increasing campus diversity, flies in the face of actions by some of its peers. Notable universities, namely Yale, Dartmouth College, MIT, and Georgetown University, have recently announced a return to mandating standardized test scores, with a Kaplan survey suggesting 15% of test-optional schools may follow suit. Despite this, UM's vice provost for enrollment management, Adele C. Brumfield, told University of Michigan, “Our commitment today to a test-optional policy for undergraduate admissions demonstrates our focus on providing access to high-achieving students from all backgrounds.”
UM's decision not only diverges from certain prestigious institutions tightening their admissions criteria but also aligns more closely with the majority of U-M’s public university peers in Michigan that remain test-optional. As detailed by MLive, a committee comprising faculty and staff reviewed a year's worth of data, alongside national research and peer policies, before recommending the test-optional policy as the fairest approach for applicants.
With the test-optional policy in place, the university has seen a significant increase in applications across all demographics since fall 2020, suggests university data obtained by MLive. In a statement obtained by University of Michigan, committee member and education professor Michael Bastedo said, “We concluded that a test-optional policy was, at this time, the best reflection of how to ensure access and fairness to a diverse range of U-M applicants.”
UM officials vow to continue monitoring the effectiveness of their admissions policies, balancing inclusivity with the pursuit of academic excellence. As colleges nationwide navigate the best route forward, the use of standardized testing remains an unpredictable element in the evolving landscape of higher education admissions.
