Joining a growing list of top schools nationwide, Illinois College now offers students a choice about whether to submit their standardized test scores as part of the admissions process.

Under the new policy, students who believe their standardized test scores strengthen their application are encouraged to submit them, but students who elect not to submit standardized test scores will not be penalized. An exception will apply to international and home-school students.

“Emerging evidence indicates that a student’s academic promise can be accurately evaluated through a variety of means,” Barbara Lundberg, vice president for enrollment management, remarked. “We expect that the majority of candidates will submit test scores, but by becoming test-optional, we will have the opportunity to look beyond what a student does during a four-hour period on one day in their high school career.”

This change was approved by the faculty earlier this year following a yearlong study of the role of standardized tests in college admissions. Illinois College previously required all prospective students to submit official results of the ACT or SAT test scores in order to be considered for admission.

Lundberg said the new policy will apply to students who begin their freshman year studies in 2010.

During the admissions process Illinois College will place a high degree of emphasis on each applicant’s high school academic performance in college preparatory classes, along with extracurricular activities and the demonstration of character and talent.

Illinois College received a record 1,291 applications for this year’s freshman class and has offered admission to 701. The Class of 2013 will include students from across Illinois and Missouri as well as students from Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin. International students from Japan, Ireland, Mongolia, Nigeria and Palestine will also travel to Jacksonville to begin their studies at Illinois College.

“We are seeking students who day in and day out work hard in the classroom and have demonstrated the desire to be part of a challenging academic community,” said Lundberg. “We believe that many students who simply do not test well may not have included Illinois College in their initial set of colleges to consider. The new, test-optional approach will reach out to those students.”

According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, more than 800 colleges and universities do not require prospective students to complete either the ACT or the SAT. This includes a growing number of selective, four-year private colleges and universities across the country. Augustana College, Knox College and Lake Forest College are among the in-state private colleges and universities that have adopted the test-optional policy for prospective students.

Lundberg observed, “The new policy is consistent with Illinois College’s efforts to attract and retain a student population rich in diversity and intellectual curiosity.”

Founded in 1829, Illinois College provides a rich learning environment, graduating students characterized by a passion for lifelong learning, a commitment to service and a readiness to lead. The college takes great pride in a long tradition of educational quality, as well as in the constancy of its educational mission in liberal arts education.