SATs Are Optional—For Some
Beginning this fall, Mason will give high school seniors with cumulative GPAs of 3.50 or higher who rank in the top 20 percent of their class the option of being considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores.
Instead, these applicants will be evaluated on their overall academic records, which must include a challenging curriculum with a high number of advanced-level courses, and additional essays and letters of recommendation. Mason is one of the largest competitive public universities in the nation to offer such a policy.
“Analysis of Mason’s admissions and enrollment data demonstrate that the SAT is at best a weak predictor of incoming college students’ performance for freshmen who have been strong academically in high school,” says Andrew Flagel, dean of admissions.
“Standardized test scores have less and less weight each year in our traditional admission process,” adds Flagel. “All applicants need to clearly demonstrate their talent through their curriculum strength, academic achievements, and extracurricular experiences, regardless of whether they elect to have test scores considered.”
The university will continue to accept standardized test scores from applicants who feel the scores are a key part of their academic achievements or do not meet the standards for the score-optional process. Standardized test scores are still required from applicants who
- seek admission to the Honors Program in General Education and the University Scholars and Scholarship Program,
- plan to major in engineering,
- have been home-schooled, or
- seek to join one of Mason’s NCAA intercollegiate athletic teams.
For more information, visit admissions.gmu.edu/scoreoptional.