Dartmouth Will Need Standardized Examinations Once More

The Ivy League school in New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, revealed this week that it will once more compel candidates to take standardized tests. When applying to Dartmouth beginning in the autumn of 2025, American students will need to include their SAT or ACT results. According to Dartmouth, international students will have to turn in their results from “an equivalent standardized national exam.” For a period of four years, the institution did not consider any standardized assessments. A “test-optional” term was instituted in 2020 at Dartmouth and several other American universities; the reason given by officials was the COVID-19 epidemic.

Schools gradually ceased to hold in-person classes starting in the spring of 2020. Students found it challenging to be ready for and attend standardized assessments as a result. Many colleges experimented with what would happen if they did away with the requirement for the SAT and ACT during the “test-optional” period. Studies from years ago claimed that wealthier students performed better on the tests. Nat Smitobol works for IvyWise, a New York City-based organization that provides guidance on college applications. According to Smitobol, colleges seek a diverse student body and weren’t convinced they were receiving enough of them based only on test results.

After four years, Dartmouth claimed it reviewed its admitted student body. It was discovered that although the exam optional policy increased applications, it made it more difficult to identify the top pupils. Results from standardized tests were found to be “a valuable element of Dartmouth’s undergraduate application,” according to the university. The institution added that the exams improved its capacity to “identify talent.” This indicates that Dartmouth found it simpler to identify qualified kids who do not attend affluent high schools or families as a result of the testing.