NEWS: UC schools are dropping SAT requirement for class of 2021

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And what will happen, practically speaking, is that good testers will take the tests and submit scores anyway.

They are phasing out SAT/ACT over five years: first two-years are test-optional, then in-state applicants won’t submit them. During this transitional period, they are going to try to develop a California-wide admissions test for in-state students. SAT/ACT will remain optional for out-of-state applicants.

The undertone I got was that when push comes to shove, there won't be a new test in five years. I doubt they can come up with one more "equitable" as the current options and at 36-0, the regents aren't inclined to be on the side of standardized testing.

The Asians will find a way to ace whatever bs admissions test they make.

This. The reason Asians do well on testing is preparation for it. Whatever the schools come up with won't really alter the Asian mentality. If you create it, they will prep for it. Good for them. The reason minorities don't do well is that they don't prep for it. Prepping is free. I take my kid to the library every Saturday morning and who is there with their SATs prep books spread all over the tables? Asian students. They are not sitting with tutors. They are just using the SAT reference books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vassar and Pomona are also going test-optional next year, as are Tufts, BU and Davidson. Seems like the SAT’s days may be numbered.

You might be correct, but none of these are ivy league schools.

University of Chicago went test-optional two years ago. Not Ivy League but just as selective.

Ok, but how many unhooked kids who don’t submit scores get in?

I'd imagine high scorers do submit their results and have an advantage over those who don't. Test optional is disingenuous - ot doesn't mean "we don't consider your SAT scores."

https://www.chronicle.com/article/An-Ultra-Selective-College/246634

In 2019, “34,600 students applied, and 6 percent were accepted. Nondorf said 10 to 15 percent of all applicants didn’t submit ACT/SAT scores. And non-submitters constituted a similar proportion of admitted students.

Test-optional policies tend to appeal to many kinds of applicants. Officials at several other colleges that have dropped their ACT/SAT requirement recently said that many applicants from affluent schools end up applying under test-optional plans — even those who have solid scores.

Chicago didn’t see much of a difference this year between students who submitted scores and those who did not. Both pools were similarly diverse, Nondorf said, though applicants intending to major in the arts and humanities were more likely to withhold scores than those interested in science and math.

What qualities stood out among successful applicants who didn’t send scores? ‘They tended to submit something else that really strengthened their application far more than testing would have, even if the testing had been awesome,’ Nondorf said. Invited to send supplemental materials, students sent all kinds of things: creative writing, research projects, essays, and clips of dance or theater performances.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vassar and Pomona are also going test-optional next year, as are Tufts, BU and Davidson. Seems like the SAT’s days may be numbered.

You might be correct, but none of these are ivy league schools.

University of Chicago went test-optional two years ago. Not Ivy League but just as selective.

Ok, but how many unhooked kids who don’t submit scores get in?

+1 I want to know the acceptance rate for TO kids

[Anonymous]

I have mixed feelings about this! I’m a Californian with hopes my kids will go on to UC’s.

I think this decision WILL lower the quality of UC student body overall. So, maybe less out of state kids. Less bright researchers. Less international students.

Our CA public schools aren’t that great, to be honest, so I think UC’s can’t possibly be strong with ill-prepared students.

Maybe...UC’s will just become a really good (not great) university system for in-state kids.

Now, if they could just lower the tuition...

[Anonymous]

I read that UC was creating their own test. Is this message getting lost?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read that UC was creating their own test. Is this message getting lost?

I’m curious what that test will look like? So bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope they drop GPA as well.
My DC can crank out good essays and can get teachers to write fancy recommendation letters. I hope they only require these, the less the better. Equal opportunity regardless what we did.

Once test scores are dropped, the rest is completely subjective and useless. It becomes a community college basically. Graduate high school and if a student t had money to pay for it, the student is accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vassar and Pomona are also going test-optional next year, as are Tufts, BU and Davidson. Seems like the SAT’s days may be numbered.

You might be correct, but none of these are ivy league schools.

University of Chicago went test-optional two years ago. Not Ivy League but just as selective.

Ok, but how many unhooked kids who don’t submit scores get in?

+1 I want to know the acceptance rate for TO kids

See 10:55. Same proportion as test-submitters.

[Anonymous]

The Board of Regents seems intent on doing this, and no logic could dissuade them.

How will you evaluate and compare students then? We will create our own test!

So now students have to prepare and take the ACT, SAT and YOUR test?

It makes no logical sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Board of Regents seems intent on doing this, and no logic could dissuade them.

How will you evaluate and compare students then? We will create our own test!

So now students have to prepare and take the ACT, SAT and YOUR test?

It makes no logical sense.

Because it’s such a big state, California’s actions tend to drive trends. SAT/ACT will suffer big losses if they lose the California market, and lots of other schools will follow UC’s lead. My guess is that SAT/ACT will pretty quickly become a niche thing for a subset of kids who are trying to boost their applications.

I do agree that a California test is silly, and you’ll note that they said they’re going to investigate that option but did not commit to it. My guess is that it never comes to fruition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Board of Regents seems intent on doing this, and no logic could dissuade them.

How will you evaluate and compare students then? We will create our own test!

So now students have to prepare and take the ACT, SAT and YOUR test?

It makes no logical sense.

It makes perfect sense if you're trying to make money. I don't see why this is being missed. They will make a test sell it to in-state students, then potentially sell it to other state board of educations. And I'm sure this will just decrease the quality of the schools the UC system is not prestigious enough to make OOS students want to take 2 tests, so they will have a decrease in applications.

[Anonymous]

Wonder how much Calif will charge for that test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Board of Regents seems intent on doing this, and no logic could dissuade them.

How will you evaluate and compare students then? We will create our own test!

So now students have to prepare and take the ACT, SAT and YOUR test?

It makes no logical sense.

Because it’s such a big state, California’s actions tend to drive trends. SAT/ACT will suffer big losses if they lose the California market, and lots of other schools will follow UC’s lead. My guess is that SAT/ACT will pretty quickly become a niche thing for a subset of kids who are trying to boost their applications.

I do agree that a California test is silly, and you’ll note that they said they’re going to investigate that option but did not commit to it. My guess is that it never comes to fruition.

I don’t even understand the motivation behind it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Board of Regents seems intent on doing this, and no logic could dissuade them.

How will you evaluate and compare students then? We will create our own test!

So now students have to prepare and take the ACT, SAT and YOUR test?

It makes no logical sense.

Because it’s such a big state, California’s actions tend to drive trends. SAT/ACT will suffer big losses if they lose the California market, and lots of other schools will follow UC’s lead. My guess is that SAT/ACT will pretty quickly become a niche thing for a subset of kids who are trying to boost their applications.

I do agree that a California test is silly, and you’ll note that they said they’re going to investigate that option but did not commit to it. My guess is that it never comes to fruition.

Most schools don't have competitive admissions in fact only around 50 schools out of 5000 could really consider themselves competitive. So I would say most of those schools will remain test mandatory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Board of Regents seems intent on doing this, and no logic could dissuade them.

How will you evaluate and compare students then? We will create our own test!

So now students have to prepare and take the ACT, SAT and YOUR test?

It makes no logical sense.

Because it’s such a big state, California’s actions tend to drive trends. SAT/ACT will suffer big losses if they lose the California market, and lots of other schools will follow UC’s lead. My guess is that SAT/ACT will pretty quickly become a niche thing for a subset of kids who are trying to boost their applications.

I do agree that a California test is silly, and you’ll note that they said they’re going to investigate that option but did not commit to it. My guess is that it never comes to fruition.

I only see this working for public school systems and those systems adopting their own test. UC's will still require test scores for OOS students. The issue is private schools inside California will suffer as students wouldn't want to take 2 tests, if they want to apply to USC or Stanford.