The University of Pennsylvania has reshaped its application requirements for the 2015-16 admissions cycle, doing away with the requirement that applicants submit the writing portion of the SAT or ACT.
“The decision to no longer require the essay portion of the SAT or ACT is one we considered carefully,” said Eric Furda, dean of admissions, in a news release. “Our internal analysis as well as a review of the extensive research provided by the College Board showed that the essay component of the SAT was the least-predictive element of the overall writing section of the SAT.”
Mr. Furda also noted that a forthcoming redesign of the SAT would make the writing portion optional for everyone.
Another of Penn’s changes is a recommendation that students submit scores from two SAT subject tests. “This change reflects our research that shows that, when considered in the full context of the application, the SAT subject tests are strong predictors of performance at Penn,” said Yvonne Romero Da Silva, director of admissions, in the release.
Among Penn’s peers, Harvard University requires applicants to submit two subject tests (“normally,” according to its website), Yale University recommends them, and Princeton University recommends submitting two.
