Test-Blind Admissions
More than 13 years after becoming the first STEM university to adopt a test-optional policy, WPI is now piloting a new policy that eliminates SAT and ACT scores entirely from its admission process. The change, which takes effect beginning with applicants who will apply for entrance to WPI for fall of 2022, supports WPI's mission of expanding access to a high-quality STEM education to all students.
The eight-year test-blind pilot program builds upon WPI’s 2007 adoption of a test-optional policy, one of many efforts to eliminate inequities in its admissions process. Test scores can be a self-limiting factor for some students, discouraging otherwise strong and capable students from applying to top universities with high score profiles. Scores can also be gamed through expensive test preparation courses and tutoring that provide an unfair advantage to wealthier students. The new pilot program makes SAT and ACT scores irrelevant, eliminating these inequities and barriers to access.