Key Takeaways:
- UC considers restoring SAT and ACT admissions requirements.
- Faculty cite worsening math preparedness among incoming students.
- Review process delays any immediate admissions policy changes.
The University of California will consider restoring SAT and ACT requirements for University of California admissions after more than 1,000 faculty members raised concerns about declining student math preparedness since the exams were dropped in 2020.
The university announced Thursday that it will launch a review of admissions testing and academic preparation standards, responding to growing concerns from faculty members who say students are arriving on campus with significant gaps in math skills. However, university leaders signaled that any decision could take months, drawing criticism from professors seeking faster action.
Faculty Push for Faster Action
The review follows an open letter released May 28 and signed by more than 1,000 faculty members across the UC system. The signatories urged university leaders to immediately reinstate standardized testing requirements for students applying to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs.
The professors argued that eliminating SAT and ACT requirements has contributed to serious academic preparation issues within University of California admissions.
“Preparation gaps” have become so severe that some instructors are reteaching middle-school mathematics while attempting to cover college-level material, the letter stated.
Faculty members cited a November report from UC San Diego that found about one in 12 students entering the UC system could not perform middle-school-level math.
UC Berkeley mathematics professor Zvezdelina Stankova, an early signer of the letter, said the newly announced review process is moving too slowly.
“The new process initiates a new round of studies and discussions that will take considerable time and are unlikely to reach conclusions soon enough to affect entering freshmen in fall 2028,” Stankova said.
UC Launches Review Process
UC officials said two faculty-led panels will examine the issue. One panel will evaluate whether admissions tests should return, while another will assess the effectiveness of the A-G coursework requirements that high school students must complete to qualify for admission through University of California admissions.
The panels will be created by the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, known as BOARS, which oversees undergraduate admissions policies.
Their recommendations will be reviewed by the Academic Senate, university leadership, and ultimately the Board of Regents.
Ahmet Palazoglu, chair of the UC Academic Senate, said the review reflects broader concerns about student readiness.
“In recent years, it has become clear that academic preparedness for college is a growing challenge,” Palazoglu wrote in a message to the Academic Council.
UC President James Milliken said the university plans to receive an update on the review process in July.
“There are few things more important on our agenda,” Milliken said, describing the effort as a “comprehensive, data-driven review” focused on student success and the future of University of California admissions.
Debate Reflects National Trend
The discussion comes as universities across the United States reconsider pandemic-era admissions policies. More than 1,000 colleges made SAT and ACT scores optional during the COVID-19 pandemic, but several institutions have recently restored testing requirements.
Stanford University required incoming students to submit standardized test scores this year for the first time in six years.
UC stopped using the SAT and ACT after a court ruling barred the university from considering the exams through 2025. The lawsuit argued that the tests favored students who could afford preparation courses and travel expenses associated with testing.
Supporters of the testing ban continue to raise concerns about fairness in University of California admissions.
UC Berkeley Law professor Jonathan Glater, who helped evaluate alternatives to the SAT in 2020, said declining academic skills deserve attention but warned against restoring the exams.
“Taking SAT scores into account favors students whose families earn more and not students who may benefit most from a UC education,” Glater wrote this week.
The California State University system also eliminated standardized testing requirements in 2022.
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