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

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.