News > October 9, 2008

By Kim Paschall | Contributing writer

Due to NCAA regulations for Division I schools, athletic recruits for the university will not be able to opt out of taking the SAT or ACT this year like the rest of the school’s applicant pool. “The university’s decision to make standardized test scores optional for admissions purposes will not impact the NCAA requirement for initial eligibility,” said Todd Hairston, the university’s assistant athletic director for compliance, in a statement.

click to enlarge

All incoming student-athletes will still have to report an SAT or ACT score to the NCAA Eligibility Center. The NCAA only looks at the critical reading and math sections of the SAT but not the new writing section. All four sections of the ACT are reviewed.

Eligibility is based on a sliding scale of GPA, requiring SAT scores between 400 and 1010 or ACT scores between 37 and 86. The university does not accept student-athletes along the entire length of the sliding scale that the NCAA accepts for eligibility.

The university can choose not to accept students for academic reasons even if the NCAA deems them eligible by their test scores.

“It’s a real clear message by the admissions office that we want students that will academically meet the requirements of the university,” said Jane Caldwell, associate director for Student Athlete Academic Counseling at the university.

Some other schools, like Duke, also do not accept the entire sliding scale of scores. Many other universities do accept the whole sliding scale.

In May 2008, the university became the first top 30 school to eliminate the SAT or ACT as a requirement for application.

“I don’t think they would penalize a student because they are required to submit scores,” Caldwell said. But with all the new changes, this year’s admissions process is still uncertain.

“It will require constant communications between (athletics and admissions) to make sure things run smoothly.”

The discrepancy raises questions about the “goals of greater education quality and opportunity” that the test optional policy will render, said President Nathan O. Hatch in a June 2008 article in the Washington Post.

It also highlights the conflict between the university’s academic goals and desire for athletic achievement.

“Some universities focus on eligibility; we are focused on graduation requirements,” Caldwell said.

“We are more concerned that (student-athletes)end up with a degree when they leave Wake Forest.

The graduation rate of student athletes at Wake Forest is one of the highest in the country.

“Every once in a while we see a student-athlete who has a great GPA but not a great SAT.

They may now want to choose to do the interview process instead, if they are a walk on,” Caldwell said. But any student-athlete will have to send scores to the NCAA Clearinghouse if they want to participate.

“I don’t sense any trend in the NCAA to get rid of SAT requirements,” Caldwell said.