AIC Praised for “Taking Step in Right Direction”

The Republican newspaper recently praised AIC for its decision to join a growing list of colleges and universities that “recognize educational potential is not all about a number.”

According to the editorial, written in response to AIC’s recent announcement that effective spring semester 2017, it would become test optional for all undergraduate majors:

A ‘test-optional’ policy recognizes the obvious. Students should not be judged overwhelmingly on a standardized exam that overshadows performance over an entire high school career. 

More than 850 colleges and universities in the United States to go test-optional in at least some majors; AIC will do so in all. It is not a free pass for students to get into college without earning it. 

Rather, it will take into account years of performance and trends of improvement. It removes the pretense that every student taking a standardized test does so on equal footing with all others, a type of thinking that would work if the students were robots, not human beings. 

There is still value in standardized testing, not as a fast-lane answer to academic potential but as part of the total educational package. More and more institutions are recognizing that. AIC is to be applauded for joining the trend.

The entire editorial can be found online at http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/07/aic_takes_step_in_the_right_di.html#incart_river_index.

More information about American International College including the more than 40 programs available at the undergraduate level, can be found online at www.aic.edu/testoptional or by calling 413.205.3201.

AIC—a higher dedication to educational access and success.