Good news for high school students. Northland College has implemented a test-optional admission policy for students applying for admission in 2017 and beyond.

A test-optional admissions policy means applicants with a 3.0 GPA, and some transfer students, can choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores.

“This decision reflects the College’s commitment to a holistic review process,” said Teege Mettille, director of admissions. “We believe, like many colleges, the best way to gauge college readiness is how a student performs over four years of high school, not how she or he performs over four hours on a Saturday morning.”

When submitting their information, applicants will be asked to identify whether their application should be considered with or without ACT or SAT scores.

More than 850 colleges and universities in the United States have moved to a test-optional policy.

“Research shows that we can better evaluate a student’s academic strength without standardized tests,” said Les Alldritt, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “This approach raises the bar for evaluating qualified students and academic talent.”

In addition, say administrators, test-optional policy improves access to higher education for students from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds. “This is a win-win—we’re anticipating a broader applicant pool, with students who can bring a variety of experiences that indicate success so much better than test scores,” Alldritt said.