UNE extends test-blind policy to 2021-22 academic year

The University of New England will extend its test-blind policy for undergraduate admissions during the upcoming academic year (2021-22). Under a test-blind policy, most applicants’ SAT and ACT scores are not considered among criteria for college acceptance.

During the 2020-21 academic year, UNE’s test-blind policy significantly simplified the admissions process for prospective students. It also streamlined the university’s application review, with admissions staff able to convey students’ admissions decisions more quickly.

“UNE was proud to be one of the first test-blind institutions in the country, and we are very pleased to continue this policy for 2021-22,” said Vice President of University Admissions Scott Steinberg. “Standardized testing is inherently biased, and evidence has shown that standardized test scores are not a strong indicator of academic success in college. This policy not only sends a clear message to students that those test scores have no bearing on their potential for success at UNE but also reduces unnecessary stress and anxiety for students during the admissions process.”

The policy is an expansion of the university’s test-optional policy, launched in 2018, which resulted in the largest and most ethnically diverse freshman class in UNE history without any reduction in academic quality. The test-optional policy was intended to remove undue stress to prospective students and to encourage individuals from first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented backgrounds to apply, but it did not completely remove the barrier associated with College Board and ACT standardized testing.

The new test-blind policy was adopted, in part, due to statistical evidence that standardized test scores are not a reliable indicator of how undergraduate students will perform in college and, in part, due to complications in the administration of such tests amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While some exceptions to the policy apply, as outlined on UNE’s Undergraduate Admissions webpage, all excepted groups, aside from some international students, will be able to choose whether or not they submit test scores.