Growth and sustainability through test optional admission policies

Abstract

This study examined test-optional admissions and their effect on the student body composition at King’s College as a measure of growth and sustainability. According to the College Board (2009), students from underrepresented populations do not perform as well as White students on standardised tests. Therefore, higher education institutions have established test-optional admission policies giving students the option of not submitting standardised test scores. By utilising a non-experimental ex post facto design, the researcher analysed data from freshman students at King’s College from 2003–2010 who used traditional and test-optional admission policies. The researcher determined through a chi square statistical analysis that each research question resulted in a statistically significant difference. Given the data presented, colleges and universities may need to consider offering test-optional admission policies for future growth and sustainability.