Claremont, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2003) — After two years of thorough study addressing faculty and student concerns about the role of SAT exams in admission to Pitzer College, the college has adopted an SAT-optional admission policy, which will be instituted on a trial basis for three years.
“After careful consideration, the Pitzer College community has voted that the SAT is inconsistent with our institution’s mission and values; that there is a crucial philosophical difference in how the College approaches education, as well as how it views its students,” said President Laura Skandera Trombley. “Pitzer College, like other great liberal arts colleges, uses a holistic approach to student admission with emphasis placed on grade point averages, involvement in school and community activities, positions of leadership held, work history, and demonstration of overcoming personal challenges. ” We at Pitzer are proud to join the national group of highly selective and academically rigorous liberal arts colleges who have made the SAT optional: Bates, Bowdoin, Dickenson, Franklin & Marshall, Hamilton and Mount Holyoke.
For the past two years, the College has studied and debated the usage of the SAT in its admission process. In 2002, a report was generated that was distributed to the College community. The report determined that the high school grade point averages are a better predictor than SATs for those who succeed and graduate from Pitzer. The College is providing opportunities with greater flexibility in presenting application material that accurately reflect their diverse academic abilities and potential.
