The link between language proficiency requirements and diversity
“Lower score requirements may be acceptable if sufficient English language support is offered”
Diversity is a core value of higher education institutions, and consequently an important consideration for admissions decisions colleges and universities make every year.
While international applicants can help achieve diversity goals, institutions need to decide whether such applicants can cope with the language demands of instruction delivered in English.
This decision is not straightforward because, although English-language proficiency is a key element for academic success, other factors including subject-related knowledge and non-cognitive attributes play a role in future academic performance.
Because of the complex nature of academic language proficiency, requirements for English-language proficiency test scores are essential to the admission process for international students.