October 15, 2004

Bates Calls Its SAT-Optional Policy a Boon

By ERIC HOOVER

20 years after dropping the test, the college says it's getting better applicants

Chart: Academic performance at BatesBy ERIC HOOVER

Milwaukee

Twenty years ago, Bates College told students that they did not have to submit SAT scores for admission. This month it told academe that the policy has been a boon to the small, liberal-arts college.

At the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, William C. Hiss, Bates's vice president