Greenville University Adopts "Test Optional" Policy

Published: April 13, 2021

GREENVILLE, IL -- Greenville University announced last week that it will be test optional for the submittal of ACT/SAT scores when applying for acceptance to the University.

GU initially dropped ACT/SAT requirements for applications this spring, when many potential applicants were unable to take the tests due to COVID-19 restrictions. This week, the University made permanent its removal of ACT/SAT requirements for all applicants indefinitely.

"At GU we believe students are more than their test scores and we have evidenced that with our Panther Preferred scholarship program based on character and service," says Victoria Clark, GU's director of admissions. "In light of COVID-19, and the inability of students to obtain ACT / SAT scores, we believe it is the most practical way to help interested students embark on a life-changing experience at GU."

The new policy adoption continues a trend GU began long before COVID-19. In 2018 the University announced its Panther Preferred Scholarship program, the first scholarship program at GU to evaluate students not on test scores or GPA but on character, community service, and academic determination. The first cohort of Panther Preferred students enrolled in fall 2019, and Panther Preferred program directors report a high retention rate among students selected on these non-test criteria.

Greenville University is an accredited Christian liberal arts university with more than 1,100 students, including traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree completion students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the University is located in Greenville, Illinois, 45 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri.