Another top Liberal Arts College, Colorado College, changes SAT requirements

Colorado College, one of the most selective liberal arts colleges in the US, has announced that will change it’s SAT requirements for admissions. In the case of Colorado College this specifically means that applicants can submit Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate scores in place of the SAT or ACT.

The new rules do not mean that Colorado College is going “test-optional. According to the new policy, Colorado College will add a third option to the traditional ACT/SAT requirement. Instead of those tests, students may submit three exams of the applicant’s choosing from a list of “acceptable SAT or ACT sub scores, SAT II Subject tests, AP or IB exams, or the TOEFL test for international students.”

The three picks must include at least one math test and one verbal or writing test.

It seems that the reason for the change is to broaden the diversity of its applicant pool. The population of AP and IB test-takers is exploding, and it includes significant numbers of underrepresented minorities, immigrants and first-generation college applicants. Although the change in policy is aimed at all Colorado College applicants, it may be especially helpful to international students who are more likely to have International Baccaulaureate and TOEFL results than SAT or ACT scores.

Colorado College ranks 24th among all liberal arts colleges in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with an admission rate of 26 percent.