DePaul goes test-optional

Parents Forum
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<p>DePaul</a> makes ACT and SAT scores optional on applications - Chicago Sun-Times</p>

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The Chicago school isn’t the first college to drop standardized tests for incoming students, but is believed to be the largest private non-profit school to do so. The decision, five years in the making, centered around DePaul’s mission as a school with a diverse student population</p>

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<p>National and state data consistently show a correlation between high incomes and high ACT and SAT scores, said Carla Cortes, DePaul’s enrollment management special project leader. But in a decade’s worth of data, ACT and SAT scores had little correlation with how DePaul’s students performed in the classroom when they got on campus, Cortes said “The best and fairest criteria for predicting how a student will do in college is the high school GPA, their high school record in college prep courses over four years,” she said.

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<p>We must remember that those tests are unfair to people with Autism and Asperger’s syndrome, who often do not test well eventhough they are highly intelligent. It is also unfair to those who school does not offer test preparation classes and practice ACT tests, which my high school was one of them. Many of the top high schools start practicing for the SAT/ACT in the freshman year. Many of their students started practicing in sixth grade, which is the year you become eligible to take the ACT/SAT test. It is unfair for a public school student without the same pre-test resources to compete with a student thats been practicing and taking the test since sixth grade. That is one of the reasons why the test is unfair. Just remember that more and more top schools are going test optional. Wake Forest is a test optional school (since 2008) that is ranked #25 in the nation by US News so it will not affect any thing.</p>

<p>Take a look at all the Respected Test Optional Schools (This lists does not include NYU a top school that only requires any two parts of the SAT/ACT test)</p>

<p>Top “test-optional” national universities
25. Wake Forest University (NC)
64. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
79. American University (DC)
120. University of Arizona (AZ)
132. Kansas State University (KS)
136. DePaul University (IL)
139. New School (NY)
143. George Mason University (VA)
143. University of Mississippi (MS) </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/coll…[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/coll&#8230;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Other Test Optional Schools. You will still have to meet gpa and transcript requirements for admission. </p>

<p>Arizona State
Indiana State
Kansas State
LSU
Oklahoma State
Texas A&M
Univ. of Texas
Arizona University
Univ. of Arkansas
Univ. of Mississippi
Univ. of Oregon
Univ. of Wyoming
Providence College</p>

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<p>Interestingly, it was the opposite with my Aspie son, who has severe executive function disorder…wonderful SAT scores, poor college performance. But once again, the SAT was not a good indicator of college success.</p>

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<p>Here is a comprehensive list of schools for which SATs / ACTs are optional:</p>

<p><a href=“http://fairtest.org/university/optional[/url]”>http://fairtest.org/university/optional&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Oops here is that link to the Washington Post Article on the rise of test optional.</p>

<p>[The</a> most selective test-optional schools - College, Inc. - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/college-inc/post/the-most-selective-test-optional-schools/2011/06/21/AGBB3heH_blog.html]The”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/college-inc/post/the-most-selective-test-optional-schools/2011/06/21/AGBB3heH_blog.html)</p>