The Logistics of Opting Out of the SAT

More than 10,000 applicants, about 8,000 personal interviews, over 7,000 standardized test scores, and 1201 freshman enrolled. That’s how the numbers stack up for the first freshman class admitted under Wake Forest University’s new test-optional policy. Last year, Wake Forest became the first top-30 national university to announce it was making the SAT and ACT optional for applicants. The first year of sorting through 10,555 applications under the new policy was admittedly more time consuming than in the past, but also more rewarding, says the university’s director of admissions Martha Allman The majority of applicants, or 72 percent, did submit their standardized test scores. But by taking the time to conduct so many personal interviews, admissions officers were able to get a better feel for how the prospective students would fit in at Wake Forest. “We’re looking for intellectual curiosity. What are your outside activities? How do you spend your time? What do you read? We’re really trying to learn about the students and have a less rehearsed introduction to them,” Allman told the Winston-Salem Journal. Read more about the process.