May 26, 2015 07:38 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Allegheny College in Pennsylvania will no longer require standardized test scores for admissions, school officials announced last week.

The school's Office of Admissions said that it will implement a test optional policy, allowing applicants to choose whether to submit standardized test scores. It's the latest institution to drop the "SAT or ACT as an admissions requirement," Inside Higher Ed reported.

"Allegheny College embraces the concept that standardized test scores do not exclusively reflect a student's full range of abilities or potential to succeed in college," Dean of Admissions Cornell LeSane said in a statement. "Mounting evidence indicates that high school performance -- as measured by rigor, grades and/or class rank -- and less quantifiable factors, such as character, determination and love of learning, are the best indicators of success in post-secondary education. Giving students the option of providing test scores gives them the opportunity to showcase their greatest strengths."

Allegheny joins a growing list of colleges and universities, including Siena and Thomas Colleges, that have gone test optional in their admissions practices.

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing reports that more than 850 accredited bachelor-degree granting schools now do not require all or many applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, including more than 165 schools ranked in the top tiers of their categories.

"We want to engage every prospective student who has the potential to be a great student in our classrooms, and we expect that going test optional will further strengthen the caliber of student we see applying to Allegheny," said Vice President for Enrollment and College Relations Brian Dalton. "Research shows that test scores can reflect socioeconomic factors more than actual readiness for college. By giving prospective students the option of submitting test scores, we continue to demonstrate the commitment to educational access and equity that has been a hallmark of Allegheny since our founding 200 years ago."

The change takes effect with students applying for admission in fall 2016.

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