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Miami University suspends ACT, SAT admission requirement for Fall 2022 on the Oxford campus

Merit scholarship and honors selection also will be test optional

student on bike near farmer school and tulips in foreground

Applicants to the Farmer School of Business (pictured here) and other competitive programs for fall 2022 will not be required to submit test scores (image by Scott Kissell).

Miami University has announced it will be test optional and not require ACT or SAT test scores of first-year students applying for admission for fall 2022 and spring 2023 to ensure equitable access for students affected by test cancellations and other implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This will be the second class of students admitted under a test optional policy. The first class, admitted for fall 2021, is the most academically accomplished in Miami’s history, meeting or exceeding all academic measures of applicants compared to the previous year and holding an average GPA of 3.93. There were also 10 percent more applicants than the previous year.

“Miami’s longstanding, holistic approach positioned us well to quickly shift to a selective, test-optional review process,” said Bethany Perkins, Miami University director of admission. “Not only has it resulted in a steady stream of high caliber applicants, but it has opened up a tremendous opportunity for access and equity.” Miami’s evaluation of prospective student applications will continue to consider factors such as grades, GPA and strength of curriculum; application essays; co-curricular and extracurricular activities; talent; and personal background, among other factors. 

“A test score has never been the only factor Miami’s admission committee considers in application evaluation, and it certainly isn’t the most important factor,” Perkins said. “There are much better predictors of college success such as the strength of a student’s curriculum and achievements in high school courses.”

A test score also will not be required for applicants to be considered for merit scholarships or admission to competitive programs such as honors or the Farmer School of Business. However, students who want test scores to be considered will still have that option.

"The Farmer School seeks a diverse cohort of students who have a passion for learning and have the ability, ambition and drive to go beyond their comfort zones - students who want to be a positive force in their communities, organizations, and the world. These are qualities and attributes that test scores alone cannot identify,” said Jenny Darroch, dean of the Farmer School of Business. 

At Miami, all applications are evaluated both to determine whether students are academically prepared and to gauge how the applicant might contribute to their academic program and the community overall. With competitive programs, how a student may contribute to the community becomes a more important factor in admission decisions.

“The College of Engineering and Computing is committed to attracting the best and the brightest to engage in innovation and discovery through our project based, hands on curriculum,” said Beena Sukumaran, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing. “Consistent research has shown that test scores are not the best predictor of success. A student is a great fit for our academic community if they have a growth mindset, love to learn and challenge themselves, and have the passion to work on meaningful projects that improve the quality of life worldwide.”

For more information, visit Miami University’s test-optional admission FAQs website.