UC removes standardized test scores from application, students divided

By Anisha Dhakal,

BlueDevilHUB.com Editor–

Brad Seligman, the Alameda County Superior Court Judge, ruled on Sept. 1 that the University of California system would no longer accept SAT and ACT test scores as a determinant for freshman college admissions due to the fact that these tests are unfair to less privileged and disabled individuals. 

In late May, the UC Board of Regents unanimously approved the idea of making the SAT and ACT optional for class of 2021 and 2022 high school seniors. Since then, the board decided to take this ruling one step further to completely eliminate the test score submission from the application. 

This ruling has brought about mixed emotions among the Davis High student body. Although students understand why the system went through with the decision, they still remain concerned about the plan. 

“Most seniors have already spent so much time and money that we can’t get back,” said senior Riley Liu, who took the test early junior year. “I’m frustrated because I scored pretty high and I was hoping to submit that after all of my hard work but now it feels like all that went to nothing.”  

Senior Tanner Mandelaris also took the SAT early junior year and hoped to retake it in August but his test was canceled. 

“I’m really glad that the UCs got rid of it because the tests themselves are not fair to individuals who may not be great test takers and also with this wild year, it puts a lot of extra stress on students and families as well,” Mandelaris said. “Everyone’s always so worried about how their test scores will either get them into college or not, so this makes it less stressful overall.”

The Board has decided to implement their own standardized testing system by 2025, but if that does not work, then they will drop test scores all together. 

Liu brings about the idea that standardized tests are doomed to always put some group of individuals at a disadvantage. “I don’t think getting rid of the SAT and ACT will be that much of a help because bringing in any type of standardized testing will do the same thing,” Liu said. 

Senior Ishan Malik believes that without the standardized test scores some students will be put at a disadvantage regardless. “Some schools, unlike Davis, let people take honors and AP classes in ninth grade, which will make some people’s GPAs higher than others. Also, some schools offer certain AP classes that other schools do not and so there’s really no winning.”

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