SAT IIs No Longer Required for Admission

Students applying to Harvard College will no longer be required to submit two SAT subject tests, the Admissions and Financial Aid Office announced last week.

The Admissions Office chose to make the change because the cost of taking SAT subject tests may discourage low-income students from applying, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 wrote in a statement.

“While two SAT Subject Tests are normally required, the Admissions Office recently decided to permit applicants to apply without them, particularly if the cost of the tests represents a financial hardship,” Fitzsimmons wrote.

The change is part of ongoing efforts to attract applicants from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds.

The Admissions Office has yet to offer further details, but on its online site, it indicates that applicants may choose to leave subject tests out of their application even if they do not face financial burdens.

“You may apply without [subject tests] if the cost of taking the tests represents a financial hardship or if you prefer to have your application considered without them,” the site reads.

Fitzsimmons reiterated that candidates will continue to be judged on the same holistic process that the Admissions Office has used for years.

“As it has for decades, standardized testing continues to be only one component of our holistic admissions process and every application will be evaluated on the basis of all submitted information,” Fitzsimmons wrote.

—Compiled by Crimson staff writer Theodore R. Delwiche.