Albany Tech adopts new test-optional policy

ALBANY — Albany Technical College has announced changes in its admissions testing process, changes that make it easier for students to enroll in programs at the college.

For many who want to enter or re-enter ATC programs, or for graduating high school students, the new process may mean bypassing admissions testing altogether. To take advantage of the policy change, ATC encourages anyone who has considered advancing his or her skills to either achieve a stable job income or to continue their education to come to ATC’s campus and speak with an admissions specialist on how to get started.

“For some students, standardized test scores may not be an accurate reflection of academic ability or potential,” ATC President Anthony Parker said. “This policy change will allow ATC to assess an individual with other recognized aptitude markers such as grade-point average. We want to streamline the process and eliminate any retesting of abilities that have already been performed.”

Students who have successfully completed a technical college certificate of credit or diploma program with a GPA of 2.5 or higher within five years of their admissions request will be exempt from admissions testing for the next advanced level within the program group family.

High school graduates with a GPA of 2.0 or higher will be exempt from testing. Those currently enrolled beyond the 10th grade will require a GPA of 2.6. High school students who enroll in one of the targeted certificate programs of study in the Governor’s Critical Need Initiative program of study can get extra financial support to cover any remaining tuition.

For any person who has received a high school diploma or GED, enrollment is also open in one of the 17 Governor’s Critical Need Initiative programs of study. The Hope Career Grant is also available.

In order to be eligible for the Hope Career Grant, full-time enrollment in a certificate or diploma program is not required, and students are not required to graduate from high school with a specific GPA.

ATC’s updated admissions policy joins a current trend at community colleges and universities across the nation. A recent news article reported that more than 1,000 community colleges and universities across the U.S have updated policies to become test-optional schools. Some of the institutions include Wake Forest University, American University and the University of Denver.

This trend was emerging as early as summer 2015, when Forbes Magazine published an article listing George Washington University as another prominent school with a test-optional policy for admissions. At that time, university officials reported that they had adopted the policy to ensure students with lower test scores, yet strong academics, would apply and enroll at the university.

For additional information about the new admissions policy at Albany Technical College, contact the school’s admissions office at (229) 430-5281 or online at [email protected].

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