You have probably heard that the University of California has decided to remove the SAT and ACT requirement for admission but — what does this mean?
Well let’s begin by saying that the UC had already suspended the SAT and ACT requirement for fall 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the UC has now announced that they are suspending the test requirements through 2024 and will eliminate them for California residents by 2025.
UC President Janet Napolitano’s 5-year plan will make standardized test results optional for UC applicants for the next two years. In 2023 and 2024, the UC will eliminate these requirements for California students and by 2025, the UC aims to develop its own assessment for future applicants. If none is developed by then, the UC will completely eliminate the SAT and ACT for California students and evaluate them using high school grades and other factors. Applicants from other states and countries could continue to utilize the SAT/ACT or the new UC assessment, if developed.
This decision is certainly significant and could possibly reshape the nation’s college admissions process.
For years, research has shown that standardized testing unfairly discriminates against students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Factors such as race, income, and parental educational levels strongly influence the SAT and ACT. Therefore, first-generation and low-income students often struggle to excel in these exams as these students often lack guidance and do not have access to private tutors or SAT/ACT prep courses. For this reason, this move can be viewed as a bold step for access and equity in college admissions.
Here at the Dream Generation, we hope that this move will encourage more underprivileged students to apply to UC schools especially those who may not afford test prep resources or are not the best test takers.
However, we also want to remind students that the UC, like most other universities, has a holistic admissions process. This means that admission officers consider the applicant as a whole, not just their GPA or SAT/ACT scores. Therefore, if a student lacks in one area of their application, they can always make up for it in another area.
In regards to the SAT/ACT, if a student is not satisfied with their GPA, they could always opt to take the test and if content with their score, add it to their application. This would only benefit the application — not hurt it.
As college application season approaches, it’s important to begin considering which universities you’d like to apply and begin devising a plan of action. Summer break offers students the chance to get ahead in their applications and avoid last minute stress.
The UC application will open on August 1, 2020.