DU recently announced their decision to move to a test-optional policy, under which students can choose whether or not to submit their SAT and/or ACT scores as part of their application. This will go into effect for those applying for admission for  the fall of 2020, which is as soon as it could have possibly been implemented since the application deadline for the incoming class of freshmen has already passed. This new policy could give more opportunities to students who have average, or below average, test scores yet excel in other areas such as grades and extracurricular activities.

DU cites studies that show little correlation between a student’s overall academic abilities and standardized test scores and states that, “high school grades are the best predictor of first-year college performance.” This is especially true for students with learning disabilities or those who simply aren’t good test takers, because being pushed to complete a test that could determine your admission to college in just a short amount of time can be stressful and cause kids to freeze up. Furthermore, there are students who have below-average grades in high school yet score well on tests, making it possible for them to get accepted into college even if their overall academic performance does not warrant it.

I personally wish I could have had the choice to submit my test scores when I was applying to college because they did not reflect my overall academic abilities. I was refused extra time accommodations by my school, despite having ADHD. As a result, there were a few sections where I could not finish all the questions or I simply answered quickly out of fear of not being able to finish, thus making sloppy mistakes. My scores were not bad—they were average, but my grades in school were a better indicator of how I would actually perform in college.

It is a step in the right direction that DU has decided to go the test-optional route, and while more than 1,000 schools have become test-optional, many more need to take the same steps. The standardized testing system is outdated and arbitrary and can limit a good student’s options for colleges if they simply aren’t good test takers or have a learning disorder. Hopefully as more colleges and universities make the decision to become test-optional, others will follow suit.