The Impact of Test-Optional Policy on Private College Admissions During the COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of higher education, including college admissions processes. Since 2020, numerous universities and colleges have adopted test-optional policies, allowing applicants to decide whether to submit standardized test scores. Although such policies have been in place at some institutions since 1998, research on their associations with student diversity and enrollment patterns has produced mixed findings. The widespread adoption of test-optional policies during the pandemic presents an opportunity to further examine their role in admissions. This study draws on admission data from a four-year, nonprofit, private university in the Midwest and uses logistic regression to explore patterns linked to the test-optional policy. Comparisons with pre-pandemic data suggest that the policy coincided with a broader applicant pool and increased applications from students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. However, the diversity of the enrolled student body remained relatively unchanged. Across the dataset, admitted students with higher high school GPAs were more likely to enroll. Among these, Black students who submitted test scores demonstrated higher enrollment likelihood than their peers.