March 24, 2020
Chestnut Hill College will no longer require prospective students to take the SAT and ACT standardized tests to qualify for admission.
The decision was made by the college as SAT and ACT tests throughout the country have been cancelled in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak and the newly imposed social distancing measures to decrease its spread. The policy, which more than 1,000 universities in the U.S. have adopted, will go into effect beginning with the class of 2021.
“In this unprecedented time, we’re taking unprecedented steps so that potential students aren’t adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Kevin Hearn, the vice president of strategic enrollment management and communications at the college. “Chestnut Hill College is committed to addressing issues of access and affordability, and we hope this decision will help all our prospective students who are not able to provide these test scores at this time.”
According to recent studies, dropping the standardized test requirements have shown an increase in the number of applications colleges and universities receive from prospective students. The same studies have also found that test-optional policies expand the pool of applicants, leading to greater diversity among the student population.
“This policy will grant students from all walks of life the opportunity to apply and join our community,” said Carol Jean Vale, SSJ, Ph.D., the president of Chestnut Hill College. “As an institution dedicated to providing an education to students from across the globe, this decision was one that we were more than pleased to make.”
