WKU will be shifting to test-optional admission in 2021. 

An email sent out Friday by Ethan Logan, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Experience, notified faculty of the university’s decision. 

A standardized examination score, SAT or ACT, will no longer be required for admission. The email stated that in 2021, “students with an unweighted high school GPA of 2.50 or greater will no longer be required to submit an ACT or SAT score for admission consideration.” 

Students with a GPA of less than 2.50 will still be required to submit a test score “to demonstrate college readiness benchmarks for admission consideration,” Logan said. 

Students with a GPA lower than 2.0 will not be eligible for admission. 

Logan said the decision has been in the works for a while now due to discussion of the efficacy and equity of standardized testing. He said testing has shown that the greater weight of retention lies within high school GPA rather than standardized test scoring. 

“The question of inherent bias in the standardized testing practice also contributes to this decision,” Logan said. 

The email stated that underrepresented students, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and first generation college students do not always have the same access to testing preparation. 

“WKU is choosing to emphasize the work of a student over the past four years of their secondary education versus a singular testing event,” Logan said. 

Kelley Holland can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kelleyaholland.