Fitchburg State Going Test Optional for Fall 2018

FITCHBURG, MA – Starting this fall, Fitchburg State University will no longer require standardized test scores as part of its admissions process.

In adopting the “test optional” model, Fitchburg State joins other institutions in acknowledging that standardized tests are often not as accurate in predicting academic success as a student’s prior academic record and grade point average. Eliminating the test score requirement is also expected to increase the university’s accessibility to a greater population of students, which is in keeping with Fitchburg State’s mission and core values.

Director of Admissions Sean Ganas says giving students the option to submit SAT or ACT scores also empowers students and their families. “It puts them more in the driver’s seat about how they choose to present themselves to the university,” he says. “Students may feel their SAT scores are a good indication of their ability to succeed at the university, or they may not. This will allow them to have more say in how they’re presented to the admissions office.”

For students who don’t feel their scores accurately tell their story, Ganas says, the option not to submit will be removing a perceived barrier to continuing their education.

The university will still require the tests for certain programs and for determining eligibility for merit-based financial aid.

Featured

  • Allegion US Partners with Two Colleges for Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US recently announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campus-wide, according to a news release. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.

  • Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

  • Designing School Spaces for A++ Performance

    In recent years, the educational world has gained greater appreciation for the ways a space’s aesthetics, just like its acoustics, can positively impact educational outcomes. Consequently, engineering, designing, and constructing a school environment demands acoustics to be equally an art and a science, requiring architects and designers to see with their ears, while acousticians must hear with their eyes.

Digital Edition