“Informed by new research, Dartmouth will reactivate the standardized testing requirement for undergraduate admission beginning with applicants to the Class of 2029.”

Read the announcement article here. Here’s a summary (via Chat GPT):

• Dartmouth College is reinstating the standardized testing requirement for undergraduate admission, starting with the Class of 2029.
• The decision to suspend the testing requirement in 2020 was a response to the global pandemic, and it was initially considered a short-term practice.
• A new research study commissioned by Dartmouth’s President and conducted by faculty economists and an educational sociologist supports the reinstatement of standardized testing as a valuable element in the admissions process.
• The study suggests that high school grades paired with standardized testing are the most reliable indicators of success in Dartmouth’s course of study.
• Standardized testing is seen as a valuable tool for identifying high-achieving applicants from low and middle-income backgrounds, first-generation college-bound students, and those from urban and rural backgrounds.
• Contrary to the critique that standardized testing inhibits access, the study found that it broadens access, especially for under-resourced students.
• Dartmouth experienced record-breaking access during the test-optional period, with contextualized testing viewed as an opportunity to admit a diverse range of students.
• Lessons learned from the test-optional period include the observation that some low-income students withhold test scores, potentially missing positive signals to admissions.
• Dartmouth will reimplement required testing for applicants from high schools within the United States starting with the Class of 2029, with no preference for the SAT or ACT.
• Results of multiple test administrations will be super-scored, and for international applicants, various standardized exams will be accepted.
• Dartmouth aims to develop a new testing profile that focuses on localized scores rather than the class mean and mid-50 percent range, aiming to empower students to understand how their scores align with admissions parameters.
• The reinstatement of required testing is part of Dartmouth’s enduring commitment to holistic admissions, with contextualized testing being one factor among many in the evaluation process.