Why are so many US universities going test-optional?

SAT or ACT scores used to be a stringent requirement to enter US universities, but many are doing away with this – moving towards test-optional policies instead. More and more colleges and universities are announcing that they will no longer require these scores for admission purposes, although students can still submit them. The main reason for going test-optional is to offer a fairer approach when it comes to considering applicants, as the scores do not accurately reflect a student’s academic background. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is one of these universities who has recently announced they will not look at SAT and ACT scores when considering applicants, after mulling over this decision for some time. UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said, “We are doing this because this approach has been shown to be both more reliable in identifying students who can succeed and more fair to all applicants.