Berea College will now allow its prospective students to apply for admission without requiring standardized test scores.
Berea College joins more than 1,000 elite institutions like Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Notre Dame who are offering test score optional admissions to their fall 2021 class. The COVID-19 pandemic has created insurmountable barriers for standardized testing for students across the country, and especially for the students and families that Berea College serves.
By offering its scholars a choice between submitting or not submitting their test scores, Berea also more closely aligns its admissions policies with the College’s mission to serve low-income, high-achieving students from the Appalachian region. Berea College’s Office of Admissions has always been committed to a holistic assessment of each student’s potential, but will now rely more heavily on modern and data-backed indicators of college readiness like GPA, rigor of coursework, writing ability, extra-curricular and service involvement, and teacher or counselor recommendations. In doing so, the College hopes to enroll an even more competitive and deserving incoming class.
In addition to offering test score optional admissions, Berea will maintain its centuries-old commitment to providing an affordable, high-quality education to an accomplished group of students. All of the College’s accepted students will still receive the No-Tuition Promise, which guarantees no student ever pays tuition.
The 2021 application for admission is open as of Wednesday, July 8. Apply for free.