Why have 800+ U.S. colleges gone test optional?
“A rite of passage for generations of college-bound students has been preparing for and taking the ACT or SAT college admission tests—and sweating over whether their scores qualify them for their first-choice schools. But as research mounts that there are accurate measures of student potential other than standardized testing, an increasing number of colleges are turning test-optional and using more holistic tools to determine who is admitted.
Finding a good fit matters when choosing a college, and it makes sense to give students the opportunity to represent themselves in ways they feel are most accurate. For some that might not be a standardized test score, so having the chance to submit more creative work that better reflects their strengths will encourage them to explore a wider range of institutions.” —President Jonathan Brand
Read President Brand’s Huffington Post article
An analysis conducted by psychology Professor Melinda Green concluded that high school GPA is the strongest predictor of grade point average at Cornell College—not standardized test scores. By adding the no-test option, we are encouraging more talented students to apply to Cornell. And those students who decide to take the no-test option are expected to submit a creative portfolio to demonstrate their motivation and fit at Cornell College.
Cornell offers three application options
