Wittenberg will now offer prospective students the option of submitting SAT or ACT scores with their application credentials effective immediately.

“At Wittenberg, we want to recruit the best and brightest students, who are not only well-rounded with impressive academic records, but who are also leaders in their communities, committed to service and actively engaged in the world around them,” said Doug Swartz, vice president for enrollment management. “Simply stated, we want students who reflect the values and mission of Wittenberg.”

In making the decision to allow applicants to decide whether or not to submit test scores, Swartz said he is confident that more accurate portraits of prospective students will result. “By giving them the option, prospective students can now choose what materials best demonstrate their strengths and indicate their readiness for Wittenberg’s dynamic educational environment,” he said.

At the same time, the decision also facilitates a number of enrollment objectives outlined in Distinctively Wittenberg: A Vision for Excellence, the university’s strategic plan. In addition to attracting students with a passion for learning, the plan calls for students who reflect the diversity of the world.

“As we continue to extend our admission outreach nationally and internationally to
broader and more diverse audiences, it has also become clear that we should take a more comprehensive approach to assessing the talents of our own applicant pool,” said Wittenberg President Mark H. Erickson. “A true liberal arts education requires engagement from a wide range of viewpoints and experiences. Our new test-optional alternative will assist us in attracting students with unique and varied talents from a wide array of backgrounds, including those with non-traditional records of outstanding achievement.

“It is very important to stress that this does not mean that we will become less selective,” Erickson added. “On the contrary, we plan to become increasingly selective, simply using more meaningful criteria for making our admission decisions.”

In making submission of test scores optional, Wittenberg now joins with other
selective colleges, including Bates, Bowdoin, Denison, Dickinson, Gettysburg,
Union, Muhlenberg and Middlebury, among others. A recent report in USA Today indicated that colleges that have chosen the test-optional avenue have benefited significantly from their decision, including increased applicant pools and greater diversity among applicants.

“By allowing students to choose whether
they wish to send us their ACT or SAT
scores, we are confident that more students
will consider Wittenberg for college
because they will see a school committed to
knowing and educating the whole person,
rather than one that evaluates ability based
on standardized tests,” Swartz said.

“We have also confirmed the national
findings within our own student body that
such scores, which have repeatedly come
under fire by many in higher education
for the cultural and socioeconomic biases,
do not always accurately predict students’
academic success at Wittenberg,” Swartz
continued. “In actuality, our move in this
direction will only enrich what already
makes us ‘Distinctively Wittenberg.’”