Unpublished Studies Drive Test‑Optional Policy

The University of Wisconsin is seeking to make test‑optional admissions permanent while citing unpublished internal analyses that diverge from established academic findings. Using opaque, non‑peer‑reviewed evidence to justify broad access changes shifts the debate from empirical evaluation to institutional assertion. — If universities normalize using nonpublic internal studies to set admissions rules, public accountability, reproducibility, and fairness in higher‑education policy will weaken nationwide.