Milligan offers two options for admission and awarding: (1) with a standardized test and (2) without a standardized test. The choice applies to both admission and scholarship awarding.
- Admission: To be considered for admission without a test score, students must submit a description of your high school and community extracurricular involvement with your application. A writing sample also may be required.
- Scholarship: To be considered for a merit scholarship without a test score, students must have a minimum 3.25 high school GPA and will be awarded merit scholarships individually on the basis of: (1) their high school GPA and strength of curriculum AND (2) high school involvement.
Note: Due to the nature of the individual awarding process, we cannot “quote” scholarship amounts in advance for students who choose not to submit a test score. Students who do have a test score can visit our scholarship calculator to view merit award amounts based on GPA and test score.
Who is eligible for test optional admission?
First year applicants with less than 24 previous college credits obtained post high school (does not count dual enrollment) may choose to apply (1) with a standardized test or (2) without a standardized test.
Transfer students with more than 24 credits are not required to submit high school information or a standardized test score and are awarded based on their college GPA. Please see the transfer website for more information.
International first-year students may also select admission and awarding without a standardized test score. However, international students will still be required to demonstrate English language proficiency via TOEFL or IELTS results. Japanese students may submit EIKEN results. This requirement may be waived for students who speak English as their native language, attended a U.S. high school for at least three years in a non-ESOL curriculum.
How do I select my option?
Applicants to Milligan will choose their option on the admissions application. The decision affects both admission and merit scholarship awarding.
What if I already sent Milligan my test score?
Students make the choice of their admission and awarding option on the admissions application. If we have a test score on file and the student chooses admission without a test score, that score will be ignored for the purposes of admission and scholarship awarding. The test score may be used for class placement and advising purposes. We do still encourage students to take a standardized test—the ACT, SAT, or CLT—as they play an important role in determining course placement for our students.
Can I switch options?
- Students who have chosen to be admitted and awarded WITH a standardized test score may not switch to scholarship awarding without a test score once they have been admitted and notified of their scholarship. (However, if a student has been admitted and awarded WITH a test score and later sends in a new, improved score, they will be re-evaluated for scholarships. If their improved score bumps them to a new scholarship level, the student will be awarded the new, higher scholarship.)
- Students who have chosen to be admitted and awarded WITHOUT a test score who later attempt a standardized test may be re-evaluated for academic scholarships once their results are received by Milligan. (Milligan will not reconsider academic scholarships based on standardized test scores attempted prior to admission.)
How does this affect competitive scholarships?
- Jeanes Honors Scholarship: Applicants must submit a test score to be considered for the scholarship. The baseline academic criteria for consideration is a minimum of a 28 ACT/1300 SAT/86 CLT and a minimum of 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
- Goah Diversity Scholarship: Applicants do not have to submit a test score as the baseline academic criteria remains the same as previous years: minimum of a 21 ACT/1060 SAT/ 68 CLT OR a 3.0 high school GPA or above. Transfers must have a minimum cumulative college GPA of 2.75 after 24 hours.
- Ministry Leadership Program: Applicants do not have to submit a standardized test score but must meet all other eligibility criteria listed on the website.
- Athletic scholarships, activity scholarships, performing, and fine arts scholarships: Applicants should discuss criteria with the coach/director.
- Bible Bowl Scholarships: Not affected.
- Tuition Waiver Programs: Applicants must submit a test score.
How does this affect outside scholarships?
Scholarships from outside sources—like TN Hope scholarship, Ballad Health Scholarship, Equal Chance for Education, and others—are managed by outside organizations. Each organization sets their own criteria for awarding. Please contact admissions for questions on specific outside scholarships.
Why is Milligan offering this option?
Milligan will continue to take a flexible approach to our standardized testing requirements for Fall 2022-2023 applicants. Milligan values the information provided by standardized testing and will continue to consider test scores as part of our holistic admissions review process. However, we understand that some students may have been prevented from taking the SAT, ACT, or CLT due to challenges related to COVID-19. For this reason, Milligan will be flexible and will consider applications from students who were unable to complete standardized tests due to the pandemic. All applicants for admission will be reviewed and given the same priority regardless of the testing option selected.
We do still encourage students to take a standardized test—the ACT, SAT, or CLT—as they play an important role in determining course placement for our students.
