Yale University has updated their undergraduate admissions process with the announcement of a new policy on standardised testing for first-year and transfer applicants. The university is now expanding the list of tests that will be acceptable for undergraduate admissions.
“After four years with a test-optional policy that allowed applicants to decide whether or not to submit test scores, Yale will resume requiring scores of all applicants. But it will expand the list of tests that fulfill the requirement to include AP and IB exams in addition to the SAT and ACT,” an official statement read.
For the first time now, the varsity will allow applicants to report Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exam scores in lieu of the ACT or SAT.
This decision was taken after Yale observed that test scores provided an overall picture, among several other indicators. “For students attending high schools with fewer resources, applications without scores can inadvertently leave admissions officers with scant evidence of their readiness for Yale. When students attending these high schools include a score with their application — even a score below Yale’s median range — they give the committee greater confidence that they are likely to achieve academic success in college. Our research strongly suggests that requiring scores of all applicants serves to benefit and not disadvantage students from under-resourced backgrounds,” said Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid at Yale University.
“I like that the inclusion of the new test types pulls some of the focus away from the ACT and SAT, and we now have the research to support that subject-based exams such as AP and IB also predict Yale grades, even when controlling for other factors,” he added.
The varsity also added that the students who have not completed any AP or IB exams before their senior year of high school should ensure that they complete the ACT or SAT.