Scott Jaschik reported recently in Inside Higher Ed that faculty in disciplines as diverse as the humanities to the sciences are opting to eliminate the standardized test requirement for applicants to graduate programs. Twenty-Four graduate programs at Brown University are the most recent adopters to announce that the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) will no longer be required. Last month, Princeton University made a similar announcement, joining the ranks of programs at Cornell, Yale, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania that dropped the GRE requirement.
Proponents advocate that the GRE is expensive and discourages applications from a diverse pool of candidates. David Payne, vice president and chief operating officer of the higher education division of the Educational Testing Service, said, “Dropping the GRE Score requirement – the only common, objective and research-based measure in the admissions process – will leave only subjective measures for review and selection.”
Many of UNC Charlotte’s graduate programs have eliminated the GRE altogether or have a waiver policy to eliminate the test requirement for applicants with specific qualifications. If you would like to discuss waiving GRE or a waiver policy for your graduate program, and/or alternate methods by which to evaluate applicants’ potential for success in your graduate program, please contact Johnna Watson, JohnnaWatson@uncc.edu, or Kathy Giddings, KathyGiddings@uncc.edu, in the Graduate School.
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