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1,400 UC Professors Raise Concerns About Test-Blind Admissions
- Sapneil Parikh
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
When the University of California Board of Regents voted in 2020 to eliminate SAT and ACT
scores from admissions, the decision was celebrated as a landmark step toward expanding
educational equity. By adopting a test-blind policy, the nation's largest public university system sought to reduce barriers for students from underrepresented and lower-income backgrounds while placing greater emphasis on grades, coursework, and other application materials.
Six years later, however, many of the professors responsible for teaching those admitted
students are raising serious concerns about the policy's long-term impact on academic
preparedness.
More than 1,400 University of California faculty members have now signed an open letter
urging university leaders to reconsider how student readiness is evaluated—particularly for
STEM majors where mathematical proficiency is essential.
Faculty Report Growing Academic Preparation Gaps
The movement began with more than 600 faculty members, led by mathematicians at UC
Berkeley, who warned that incoming students were arriving significantly less prepared for
college-level quantitative coursework than in previous years.
Their concerns quickly gained momentum. By mid-2026, more than 1,400 professors—including seven of the University of California system's nine mathematics department chairs—had signed the letter, making it one of the largest faculty-led admissions initiatives in recent UC history.
According to the professors, instructors are increasingly spending valuable class time reviewing middle school and early high school mathematics instead of teaching the advanced concepts required for engineering, economics, computer science, physics, and other demanding disciplines.
The Numbers Tell a Compelling Story
Faculty members point to data that suggests the issue extends well beyond isolated classroom experiences.
At UC San Diego, students requiring math remediation reportedly increased from approximately 1 in 200 students in 2020 to 1 in 8 students by 2025. During the same period, the number of incoming students testing below high school mathematics proficiency rose dramatically.
Professors have also described situations in which students enrolled in introductory calculus
struggled to solve basic algebraic equations—skills generally expected before beginning
college-level mathematics.
For faculty, these examples reflect a broader concern about identifying academic readiness
before students arrive on campus.
Why Grades Alone May Not Tell the Full Story
The open letter argues that admissions decisions have become increasingly dependent on
indicators that may no longer provide a complete picture of student preparedness.
Grade inflation has compressed GPAs at many high schools, making it more difficult to
distinguish among applicants with similar academic records. At the same time, widespread
access to artificial intelligence tools has raised new questions about how independently
application essays reflect a student's writing and analytical abilities.
Faculty members contend that standardized test scores can serve as an additional objective
measure, helping admissions offices identify students who are academically prepared for
rigorous STEM coursework.
Importantly, the professors are not advocating that test scores become the sole admissions
criterion. Instead, they argue that standardized testing should complement other application
materials to provide a more comprehensive assessment of academic readiness.
A Proposal Focused on STEM Admissions
The faculty letter recommends that the University of California consider requiring SAT or ACT
scores for applicants pursuing STEM majors beginning with a future admissions cycle.
It also proposes giving STEM faculty a more active role in establishing academic readiness
standards for programs where quantitative skills are essential to student success.
The recommendation reflects growing national conversations about balancing educational
access with ensuring students enter highly demanding academic programs prepared to
succeed.
What Happens Next?
University leaders have acknowledged the concerns.
The UC Academic Senate has established a faculty work group to evaluate the potential
advantages and disadvantages of incorporating standardized test scores into admissions
decisions. The committee is also examining whether California's 11th-grade Smarter Balanced
assessment could serve as an alternative measure for in-state applicants.
Because the University's governance process is extensive, the committee is not expected to
deliver recommendations until 2027. Even if policy changes are approved, the earliest they
would likely affect applicants would be the Fall 2029 admissions cycle.
For current high school students, the admissions process remains unchanged.
What This Means for Students and Families
Although the University of California continues to operate under a test-blind admissions policy, the faculty debate underscores a larger issue facing higher education: how to accurately evaluate academic readiness in an era of grade inflation, evolving assessment methods, and increasing use of artificial intelligence.
Students planning to pursue engineering, computer science, mathematics, economics, or other quantitative fields should focus on building strong foundational skills regardless of future admissions policies.
Whether or not standardized testing eventually returns to the University of California, the
mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and analytical abilities measured by exams like the
SAT remain essential for success in rigorous college coursework.
As the conversation continues, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the debate is no longer simply about testing. It is about ensuring students arrive on campus fully prepared to thrive in some of the nation's most challenging academic programs.
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