On May 21, the University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve a proposal to gradually phase out the use of the SAT/ACT college entrance exams over the next five years, and plans to develop an independent UC system admissions test.
If the newly developed admissions test does not meet specific standards by the fall 2025 enrollment deadline, the UC system will waive the standardized test requirement for California students.
Specific Arrangements for the 2021-2025 School Years
Fall 2021-2022 Applicants (Current 10th-11th Graders)
Test-optional format
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Students may choose whether to submit ACT/SAT scores.
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If students do not submit ACT/SAT scores, their application review process will not be affected.
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Students are no longer required to submit SAT Essay and ACT Writing scores.
Fall 2023-2024 Applicants (Current 8th-9th Graders)
Test-blind format
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All California public and private high school students may choose whether to submit ACT/SAT scores, but scores will not be used as admissions criteria; instead, they will be used for course placement after enrollment, scholarship awards, and eligibility for the statewide admissions guarantee.
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The Academic Senate will work with the university administration to develop appropriate admissions methods for non-California students (including international students).
3. Out-of-state and international students submit new test scores, or follow other appropriate methods determined by the university.
2025 and Beyond Applicants (Current 7th Graders and Below)
If the new test is successfully developed:
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All California high school students submit new test scores.
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The new test can be used for private and out-of-state schools.
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Out-of-state and international students submit new test scores, or follow other appropriate methods determined by the university.
If the new test is not successfully developed by Fall 2025:
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UC will eliminate the standardized testing requirement for California applicants.
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The Academic Senate will work with the university administration to develop appropriate admissions methods for non-California students (including international students).
Summary of Plans for International Students
Possible future options:
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International students also take the newly developed test; future international applicants to UC may need to take an additional standardized test, increasing pressure.
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International students continue to submit SAT/ACT or other standardized test scores.
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Follow other appropriate methods determined by the university.
Reasons Behind UC's Decision to Eliminate SAT/ACT
1. Aligning with the broad values of public universities:
As a public university, UC's fundamental mission is to provide quality educational resources to as many ordinary people from various social strata within the state as possible, playing a crucial role in easing social conflicts and breaking down class solidification.
Since SAT/ACT preparation and exam fees are expensive, students from underprivileged families often cannot afford them. They are unable to attend tutoring classes, purchase costly prep materials, or register for multiple test attempts to achieve ideal scores.
In an interview last year, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ stated that SAT/ACT scores correlate with students' family income, economic class, race, and ethnic background, and using these scores as admissions criteria leads to unfairness in the education system, which does not align with the broad values of a public university.
2. Maintaining student body diversity
U.S. universities place great emphasis on student diversity and strive to optimize the composition of their student population. However, over the past 20 years, African American residents have accounted for 6.5% of California's population, while African American students at UC have only made up 4%; Latino residents represent about 40% of the state's population, yet only 22% of UC students are Latino.
Eliminating SAT/ACT scores is a significant boon for African American and Latino applicants, whose average scores have historically been lower than those of their white and Asian peers.
CheersYou（清柚教育） Senior Admissions Consultant Analysis
As we can see from the data, Asian students perform exceptionally well on the SAT, especially in math, where they have an insurmountable advantage. So, one might ask: does eliminating the SAT/ACT deal a blow to us Chinese international students?
Not necessarily. Fundamentally, the reason schools are eliminating SAT/ACT is to admit more local African American and Latino students from lower-income families. Correspondingly, more scholarships will need to be awarded. Where does this funding come from?
Without increased state funding, the biggest source of revenue for schools is international student tuition. The more local low-income students a school admits, the more international students it needs to fill the funding gap. Therefore, removing SAT/ACT scores may actually create opportunities for Chinese international students.
It is foreseeable that the number of Chinese international students at UC will increase rather than decrease. The most significantly affected by this policy will likely be local Asian students in California.
From an application standpoint, in the next two years, SAT/ACT scores will remain important for Chinese international students who excel in standardized testing.
Over the past few years, UC has continuously attempted to reform admissions policies—from changing the application essays from two mandatory prompts to a choice of four out of eight, to increasing awards/activities to 20 with updated categories, and now the unanimous vote to adjust standardized test policies. UC's evaluation criteria for applicants are becoming increasingly flexible and holistic.
In the future, schools will pay even more attention to applicants' overall competencies, placing greater emphasis on evaluating backgrounds and extracurricular activities to determine whether they have the potential to excel in four years of undergraduate study. This makes background enhancement particularly crucial for applicants.
Beyond background qualifications, the weight of personal statements and Video Essays in the application review process is also growing. UC's overall admissions approach is shifting from an emphasis on standardized test scores to a preference for soft materials. A standout essay will undoubtedly boost an application, and with the addition of a Video Essay that showcases personal diversity in the most intuitive way, the chances of admission will greatly increase.
Overall, UC's plan to eliminate SAT/ACT and develop a new test primarily targets local California students. Whether the same applies to international students applying to U.S. undergraduate programs remains to be seen. Students and parents should start paying attention, as a great opportunity may be on the horizon for undergraduate applications to the University of California.
