"Brown University this week became the latest school to stop requiring prospective students to take SAT and ACT essay tests, joining a burgeoning list of selective colleges and universities that have eliminated the requirement this year.
Brown was the last Ivy League school to require the writing assignment. Princeton University dropped the requirement earlier this month. Fewer than 25 schools now mandate students to submit essay scores as part of their college applications, according to some estimations.
Brown officials said the essay requirement may pose an impediment to students from low-income families. Students with lesser means often take advantage of free SAT testing offered during the school day at nearly 8,000 schools across the country, according to the university." …