Exploring the Characteristics Associated With the Adoption of Test-Optional Admission Policies

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Federal and Institutional Policy Issues in Higher Education: Title IX, Federal Loan Opt-Out, and Test-Optional Admissions (Table 4)

Abstract

The test-optional movement has exponentially increased over the past decade and particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (Bennett, 2022; FairTest, 2022). Scholars are exploring the various implications of these test-optional policies with a particular focus towards more equitable admission to selective colleges and universities for minoritized students. A gap in scholarship exists that examines the factors that push institutions to adopt test-optional admissions policies. Using data sourced from IPEDS, SHEEO's State Higher Education Finance Report, and the American Ideology Project, this study quantitatively explores the factors associated with the adoption of a test-optional admission policy. Preliminary results suggest that the characteristics associated with test-optional admissions policies and their test-requiring counterparts may not be all that different.

Author

• Joseph Sturm, Pennsylvania State University