The University of Pennsylvania announced last month that it is tweaking its admissions policies on admission tests, Inside Higher Ed reported.
In addition to submitting the results of either the SAT or ACT tests, the university will recommend that each student submit the results of two SAT Subject Tests. The school will also no longer require the essay portion of the writing tests of the SAT or ACT.
"We feel these new requirements are more accurate and more equitable for our admissions process." Yvonne Romero Da Silva, Penn's director of admissions, said in a statement. "College-entrance exams are merely one of many factors in our holistic review of applications. Our analyses show that they are useful predictors of student performance and persistence throughout students' undergraduate years at Penn."
Students considering fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), are recommended to take the Math 2 SAT Subject Test and a science SAT Subject Test. Candidates applying to the Wharton School are recommended to take the Math 2 SAT Subject test. Candidates applying to Penn Nursing are recommended to take a science SAT Subject Test, preferably in chemistry. Students whose native language is not English are strongly encouraged to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL.
One major change in the Penn testing policy is the removal of the requirement to submit an ACT or redesigned SAT with the essay portion, Inside Higher Ed reported.
"The decision to no longer require the essay portion of the SAT or ACT is one we considered carefully," Eric Furda, Penn's dean of admissions, said in a statement. "Our internal analysis as well as a review of the extensive research provided by the College Board showed that the essay component of the SAT was the least predictive element of the overall Writing section of the SAT. Given the impending redesign of the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, which will make the essay portion of the assessment optional, we could no longer support requiring the essay portion of either exam given its weaker predictive power."
School officials warn that the move away from requiring the essay does not reflect a lesser degree of emphasis on the importance of writing.
"Writing is critically important for college success," Furda said. "We look for evidence of strong writing ability in applicants' academic records and their self-representation throughout the application. The decision not to require the essay was really a matter of what was best for students."
The changes will be implemented in the 2015-2016 admissions cycle.
