The University of Vermont announced that it will make permanent its current test-optional admissions policy for undergraduate applicants. UVM first elected to not require standardized test score submissions, including the SAT and ACT, in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The test-optional application process provides a more even playing field for first-generation and other underrepresented students,” said UVM Director of Admissions Moses Murphy. “As a land-grant institution, we are especially mindful of fairness and balance in our admissions process.”

The UVM faculty Senate extended the test-optional policy in May 2022, while approving research into the comparative performance between students who chose to submit test scores and those who opted out. Data from three recent cohorts showed minimal difference in grade point averages and retention rates between the two groups. 

Findings also showed that test-optional students tend to convert from admitted applicants to enrolled students at a higher rate—that is especially true for Vermont students.

“Our choice to be a test optional school supports other UVM initiatives that make higher education more affordable for Vermont families, including the Vermont Promise,” UVM Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Jay Jacobs said. The Vermont Promise, announced in 2022 and expanded last year, provides tuition relief for qualified Vermont families with incomes of $100,000 or less.

Jacobs said the Office of Admissions will maintain a holistic review process, which takes into account personalized assessment of each application. Students who wish to submit standardized test scores with their applications will still be able to do so—students who choose not to submit standardized test scores won’t be penalized as it pertains to admission to the University, financial aid or merit scholarships, or invitations to the Patrick Leahy Honors College. 

UVM’s decision is consistent with the trend in higher education admissions opting for a test-optional or test-free policy. According to FairTest, an organization that advocates for test free admissions, more than 1,900 institutions that offer bachelor’s degrees have extended test optional policies through the fall 2025 admissions cycle.