Universities of California and California State Universities announced on May 14th, 2021 that they will no longer be taking SAT and ACT scores into consideration during the application process into college. This includes any applications to receive UC funded scholarships. 

“I think it will benefit students who are not good test takers or who don’t have the means to get extra prep. I can’t see it harming students as the students who will test well will likely have high grade point averages (GPA),” said Health and Yearbook teacher Julie Foley.

This court decision allows the college admissions office to review students in a holistic manner, putting more emphasis on GPA and extracurriculars rather than test scores. The ruling also gives more merit to the admissions essays where students can express who they are as a person, giving the college a clearer picture of who they are admitting.

“I think CSUs and UCs banning the SAT and ACT will help me in my application to focus on other factors like extracurriculars. As a result I’ll probably have to spend more time improving the written portion for the UC application,” said Taya Small (‘22).

In addition, the exemption of the SAT and ACT has helped out students who have struggled with getting test dates in their junior and senior year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has caused tests to be delayed for a long period of time and get canceled randomly. 

“Taking the ACT during the pandemic gave me more time to study, however it was a lot more stressful since two of my tests got canceled due to the pandemic. I had to travel three hours and stay at a hotel in order to take my test,” said Lois Hong (‘22).

However, even with this decision, ACT and SAT scores can still be used in the student’s favor, just not in helping the student get admitted to UC and CSU schools. Once admitted to the university students can use the standardized tests to gain English and writing credits and to help them get placed in appropriate courses. In addition, many students at Amador are looking to expand their horizons and apply outside of the UC universities, some even wanting to leave the West Coast altogether.

“I am planning on taking the SAT and ACT  because I am not planning on applying to many UC’s and I want to keep my options open,” said Louisa Landhuis (‘23).

The exemption of the SAT and ACT from decisions about admission has caused a great shift in the college admission process, directly affecting the class of 2022 and beyond. 

College Board has voiced some plans about instituting a new test, starting in 2025, that will reform some of the problems associated with the current SAT. This new test will accommodate and make modifications for students with disabilities and work to create a test that limits the bias towards students from high income households. Although for now, students will have to place more emphasis on their essays, extracurricular activities, and GPA to be considered for the CSU and UC schools in California.