University of California Will No Longer Consider SAT and ACT Scores The university system has reached a settlement with students to scrap even optional testing from admissions and scholarship decisions.
Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio
New York Times
May 15, 2021
The University of California will not take SAT and ACT scores into account in admissions or scholarship decisions for its system of 10 schools, which include some of the nation’s most sought-after campuses, in accordance with a settlement in a lawsuit brought by students.
The settlement announced on Friday signals the end of a lengthy legal debate over whether the University of California system should use the standardized tests, which students of color and those with disabilities have said put them at a disadvantage. Opponents of the tests called the settlement “historic,” and said that it would broaden access to campuses for students across the state.
“Today’s settlement ensures that the university will not revert to its planned use of the SAT and ACT — which its own regents have admitted are racist metrics,” said Amanda Savage, a lawyer representing the students.
This is a bad decision. The SAT and ACT are not racially biased -- they do not underpredict the college GPAs of blacks and Hispanics.
