Test Optional

Niagara University has adopted a test optional admissions policy for first-year undergraduate applicants, beginning with the fall 2018 entry year.

Niagara has joined a growing number of the nation’s most competitive and well-respected institutions by giving students the option to submit or withhold standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) as part of their admissions application.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will continue to accept standardized test scores from students who believe their results are reflective of their academic abilities to succeed at the university. If they feel that it doesn’t reflect their ability and academic skills, they have the option of not submitting.

Holistic review process

Niagara University evaluates applicants based on the entirety of their academic history throughout high school.

  • Overall GPA
  • Curriculum rigor
  • Essay
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Extracurricular involvement

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Scores MUST be submitted for the following:

  • Select academic programs — Nursing, Sciences
  • Consideration for the Trustees and Presidential Scholarships
  • Science-related scholarships such as NUSURF (Niagara University Science Undergraduate Research Fellowship)
  • Homeschooled students

No.  Your application is reviewed based on the holistic review process outlined above, with the exception of the standardized test scores.

No. Transfer students do not need to provide SAT or ACT scores unless they choose to do so.

No. International students do not need to provide SAT or ACT scores unless they choose to do so. If however, English is not the student’s native language, an official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required. 

Yes. Division I student-athletes may apply as test optional for Niagara University admission, however per NCAA regulations, they are required to submit their SAT or ACT scores to the NCAA Clearinghouse for certification of eligibility to compete on Niagara’s teams.

If you have not received an admissions decision you may change your selection.

Yes.