Jul 13, 2015 10:59 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Warren Wilson College in North Carolina has opted to adopt a test-optional admissions policy, joining the growing list of colleges to become SAT/ACT test optional.

After years of requiring standardized scores for admission, the private four-year liberal arts college announced Friday that it has decided to embrace the emerging policy, Inside Higher Ed reported.

"This policy change makes sense," Janelle Holmboe, vice president for enrollment, said in a statement. "We value the whole student; the ways in which they innovate and apply knowledge, how they seek to serve others, and how they hope to make an impact in the world through hard work. Those qualities aren't just reflected in test scores."

According to the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), more than 850 accredited schools offering bachelor's degrees, including more than one-third of the top-ranked liberal arts colleges, have test-optional policies.

School officials believe that test-optional policies lead to larger and more diverse applicant pools. Stardarized testing seems to create racial class, gender and cultural barriers to college enrollment. FairTest also saw increased access for low-income college applicants when the costs associated with testing, including preparatory courses, were eliminated.

"We believe a test-optional policy better connects our admission criteria with the educational experience we offer students," said Holmboe. "The evidence supports and enhances Warren Wilson's commitment to well-rounded approaches to learning in and out of the classroom and through work and service."

The new admissions policy goes into effect for fall 2016 applicants.

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